Refuge in Danger
by AKindOfThrowAway
Summary: Elsa Skyridge is the head of a security detail that protects the rich and famous. Anna is the CEO of Arendelle Corporation who is taking a trip to Tuvanau, a tropical island in civil unrest. Needing security she hires the best of the best. Elsa. Modern Alternate Universe. Slow burn Elsanna. Non-Incest. M for violence, language and possibly other adult themes.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

Sara gazed into the steam rising from her cup of coffee. It had been diminishing over the past hour as she sat behind her desk in just the same way she always had. She twirled a pen around in her free hand, a habit she had developed to try and pass the time. _Why was I elected to work night shifts_? She thought. She stirred her coffee with the end of her pen, contemplating her next move. If she took a sip now, she'd be one step closer to an empty cup and thus one step closer to refiling it. If she waited she would be able to postpone the inevitable refill but would risk falling asleep on her shift.

She sipped her coffee. She couldn't resist. She let out a sigh at the end of her slow gulp. _Damn I make a good cup of coffee_. Her eyes wandered around the lobby.

She was in an orphanage called Skyridge Home. On the farthest wall from Sara, the entrance was closed, although it was ominous than normal in the dark light of the night. Her desk was situated off to one corner. On the desk sat an old late 90's early 2000's computer. On the opposite side of her desk, away from the entrance laid a staircase. It was ridged, yet somehow also windy and it led to the upper floors. Next to the entrance, a coffee machine hummed. Its green light beckoning her to fill another cup of coffee.

Lighting struck outside. Sara counted under her breath waiting for the thunder. She got to 3 Mississippi before the thunder shook the orphanage. She prayed none of the children woke.

That was the only reason she was there. The orphanage always needed someone awake or on call in case of emergencies. Mainly for children waking up in cold sweats, screaming about god knows what.

She checked the time. 2:26. _Dammit_. She'd only been working for a few hours yet it had seemed like decades. She took another sip of coffee only to find it empty. _Dammit dammit dammit._

God, she hated moving this late at night. She should be in bed sleeping or watching some awful reruns on Netflix. Why she was awake at this hour she still didn't know. It was the only question she'd think of when working these shifts. Like a plague it was always there, only getting stronger as the night went on.

She set her pen down, stood up and walked over to the coffee machine. Placing her cup under its nozzle, she pressed the coffee button. The machine whirred but nothing came out. She pressed the button a second time. Once again, nothing. She smacked the side of the machine and forced the button down one last time. Coffee began pouring from the nozzle. She smiled, satisfied with her handiwork. As she waited for her cup to fill, her gaze meandered out the window that set next to the door. The stained glass accented the front door, giving the orphanage an almost Gothic feel.

Just past the window a figure stirred. Sara tilted her head, shifting her attention away from the coffee and now onto the figure. She blinked, eyes transfixed on the blurry figure through the window. It was small, either the shape of a tiny person or a child, and it was trembling in place. _Well that's unsettling._ As unsettling as it was, she didn't have the heart to leave the lone figure, possibly a child out in the pouring rain. She took her cup out of the machine, walked over to the door and opened it.

A small girl, must've been only 6 or 7 years old stood in front of the door. Rain smeared her platinum blonde hair across her face. She wore plain clothes. A pair of jeans perhaps and a plain black t shirt, it was hard to make out in the faint light outside. On her back, an empty backpack.  
"Oh dearie, come in, come in." Sara said, beckoning the little girl inside. The girl rushed inside the door as Sara closed is behind her with a soft click. Now that the girl was in the light she could see her more clearly.

She wasn't wearing jeans at all. In fact, she might've not even been wearing pants. Instead she wore a black hospital gown with strings that trailed behind her as she walked. She had been right about the hair though, it was hard to miss. A blonde that was so silver it almost looked white. She looked down at the ground, masking the rest of her face. Her whole body was shuddering.

"What were you doing out there in weather like this?" The girl said nothing instead her bottom lip jutted out, pouting. A few tears escaped from her eyes or perhaps they were raindrops, Sara couldn't tell.

"Oh, come now. Everything will be okay. I'll get you a blanket darling." Sara began walking to the next room but stopped near her desk. The little girl stood in place like a statue.  
"It's okay dear. I don't bite." Sara offered a smile. Then the girl mumbled something inaudible.  
"I'm sorry what was that honey?"

"I'm not scared of you." The little girl said in a faint whisper.  
"Well, you must be pretty brave then. I'm a scary looking old lady." Sara said, chuckling.  
"No. I'm not scared of you, but I don't want to… I'm scared that I'll hurt you." Sara gulped. This was getting creepier by the second.  
"Oh, don't worry sweetie, you can't hurt me." The little girl looked up at her with eyes like she had never seen. They were a piercing light blue, like ice or twin diamonds. They bore into her with an unsettling fierceness she couldn't shake.  
"Yes. I can." A moment passed.

"What's your name dear?" The girl took off her backpack and unzipped it. She fumbled around inside until she found what she was looking for. She pulled her hand out revealing a small business card. The little girl played with it tentatively before and handing it over to Sara.

The card was all black except for the silver lettering of the lone word that sat centered in the card.  
 _Elsa_

Sara turned the card over in her hand. The other side was blank. No last name, no other identifying symbols or numbers. Just the one word.  
 _"Elsa"_ She said aloud. The little girl smiled at the sound of her name. "I think it suits you perfectly. Now let's get something to warm you up." And she placed her hand on the Elsa's shoulder to lead her into the other room.

Without warning Elsa erupted into a fury of motion. Everything happened so fast, Sara had no time to process it. Elsa seized the pen from the desk table and stabbed Sara in the arm that had been gripping Elsa. From there the little girl continued stabbing the older woman up the arm. She flipped around it, used her momentum to vault up onto Sara's shoulders before jabbing the pen into her neck and riding her as she fell to the floor.

After the commotion stopped the little girl just stood over the body. Her rapid breath now calming. She dropped the pen and it clattered on the floor.  
"Hello?" She managed to squeak. _What did I do?_ Elsa thought. She nudge the woman with her foot. No response. Tear began to prick in her eyes. "Hello" she almost started sobbing "please?" At this point tears began to stream down the little girls face and all she could say was "I'm sorry." Repeatedly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She took the card back from the woman, crying the whole time and ran out the door.


	2. Chapter 1: The Job

_**1**_

 _ **The Job  
(22 years later)**_

Her Her eyes raked across the surfaces of the building. Marble, granite, brick, stained glass. "I don't like it." She said, from the back of the golf cart as it drove down the winding road. Her eyes were still fixated on the building. "Too many liabilities." She said, and she was right. The building itself almost looked like a church. It jutted out from the edge of a hill. The entrance, luxurious marble and granite double doors. As she followed the building with her eyes, it grew taller. At the end of the building, a large three story stained glass window sat. The building towered over everything. Two smaller glass doors inset in the window led to a patio that overlooked the area below. She tore her eyes away from the building and looked at the man next to her. "If it were up to me…"

"Which I might remind you it isn't." Hans, the man sitting next to her said. She maintained an emotionless glare.  
"Well, if it were up to me, I wouldn't do it here."

Hans had been with her since the beginning, well, almost. After the events of the orphanage she grew up on the street away from other people. Stealing to stay alive.

She didn't know why but stealing, fighting, hell even climbing came naturally to her. She felt the urge to act whenever she saw her opening. A purse left for mere moments on a table. A meal abandoned growing cold from misuse. There were only a few times she'd gotten caught.

She remembered back her 14th birthday. She had decided stealing purses and wallets wasn't enough. She broke into a house, mansion more like. She searched for the biggest house she could find. She still remembered the address. 312 Morrison. A long winding road set into the woods. The perfect house. Isolated enough to minimize unwanted attention, yet close enough to the nearest town to allow Elsa an easy getaway.

She watched the house for a few hours memorizing the patrols as they came and went. She noticed a few covert patrols. A man out for a jog who ran one too many times around the block. A woman performing yard work for far too long, who glanced at the house too many times to be out of pure curiosity.

However, as she observed throughout her life thus far, there was always an opening. Always an opportunity she could take advantage of. Every action had a reaction. Then she saw it, one of the guards walked out of the house with a plate of cake. Lunchtime.

Unfortunately, or perhaps rather fortunately, only moments after her opening, Hans had found her. He walked into the living room, on his way to get a snack from the kitchen. She stood like a deer caught in headlights. One hand held a fistful of cake that she also managed to smear across her face. The other hand held a handful of jewels, silverware, and anything else that looked valuable.

"How the hell…" he managed to stammer before she bolted for the open window. However, the cake in her hand caused her grip to falter as she attempted to vault over the edge of the window. Instead of disappearing into the woods, she stumbled backwards onto the floor. Hans had taken that opportunity to wrestle the valuables from her hands, also managing to pin her to the ground. By then, the rest of Hans' security team had heard the commotion and was in the room.

They all wanted to leave her for the police to handle, but Hans saw something in the young girl. She had made it past his custom made security plans, which earned her some kind of respect in his eyes. He offered her an ultimatum. Either she stayed with him and he'd train her for security work, or they'd turn her to the cops. Kind of a no brainer on her part. The police around her were not known for their lax punishments. So she just nodded stupidly to the man. Now, she still did the same thing whenever he talked. Over the years they had worked various jobs together. Sometime it'd be when they were mercenaries for hire, other times when they were security outfits for the rich.

"That's why I want you to head of security on the contract this time." Hans said. She froze. _Had she heard him correctly_? Hans was always the one in charge. From the smallest contracts to the largest ones. The cold wind that blew though her coat. Suddenly didn't bother her.  
"You can see it Elsa. You've got a gift. I want you to run this project, as an introduction, almost like a test. It's a tricky one no doubt, but I think you can handle it. We've been working together for over 12 years. You have enough experience now to basically do this yourself." _I don't deserve this._ Her face projected the perfect mask of emotionlessness. It was the mask she'd used ever since the day after the orphanage, and it had pulled over her face once again. "Elsa, I wouldn't give it to you if I didn't think you couldn't handle it." Hans said, taking her emotionlessness for nervousness. She just nodded. _I'm worthless._  
"I won't let you down." She explained.  
"If you don't want it I won't force it on you."  
"No. I can handle it." Hans just nodded. Elsa looked back at to the building, this time with a new fervor. Her thoughts raced faster than she could process. She'd need cameras, metal detectors, security sweeps, more cameras, guns. How many people per sweep? Teams of 2 maybe 3 just to be safe? What would she do about the window? It was the most exposed sector of the building. What was the budget again? Her nose scrunched in thought. She stared at the pavement at it whizzed past underneath her.

She looked over the paperwork once again. The glasses on her face slid down to the brim of her nose. She nudged the frames back with one finger. She was hunched over a table. The same table she'd been sitting at for hours on end. Her back started to hurt. She sat up and straightened it. She looked down at the papers that littered the table. The largest paper was a blueprint of the building she had been looking at hours before. Next to that were pages of loose-leaf notebook paper with her handwriting scrawled across it. She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. Numbers and images whirled around in her head.

She eyed the mini fridge across her room. She needed a drink. She shook the thought away. She would not allow Hans to catch her drinking on the job. Her eyes returned to the table. The corner of a different type of paper called for her attention.

She swept the notebook papers aside to reveal a plane ticket underneath. It read 7:00am flight to Chicago. Shit, she forgot. She glanced at the clock on the table. 6:00. Shit. Had she been up all night? If she wouldn't drink on the job she sure as hell wouldn't be late. She opened her phone and called a cab as she sprinted for the bathroom, ripping her clothes off as she went. She opened her suitcase and considered what she should wear.

She needed something presentable and professional is what Hans had always said. She settled on a black skirt that went down to her mid-thigh. A white collared dress shirt. A black blazer and, as always, white gloves. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was a wild mess. Somehow she must've managed to fall asleep, onto her papers, in the night. She braided it off to one side in haste and applied a minimal amount of makeup. A red lipstick, some mascara? She wasn't paying enough attention to know.

Her phone buzzed. The taxi. She answered it. Without waiting for a response she said "I will be down in a 53 seconds." She hung up the phone and ran back to the table. With one stroke she pushed the papers off the table and into her suitcase. She did one last scan of the room before rushing out the door and onto the street. The taxi driver popped the hood and she threw her suitcase inside. She slipped inside the taxi and said "Airport. Fast."

The trunk slammed shut. She circled around to the taxi driver's window and shoved a fistful of bills into his hands. Without a word she turned to face the airport. Instead she faced Hans.  
"You're late."  
"No." She said. She drew her sleeve back to reveal her watch. "I'm 12 second early." Hans ignored her.  
"You can't be late to a job. Every second your late is?"  
"Is a second someone can take advantage of your weaknesses." She intoned. It was the same mantra he had been telling her since the first time, and last time, she was late.

It had been winter when it happened. She couldn't have been over 17. Hans had given her free reign of her time but expected her to show up on time to every job. For that particular job she showed up exactly 3 minutes and thirty two seconds late having decided to stop and get a coffee beforehand.

She remembered it was particularly cold that evening. She looked up at the clock in her car. 6:45. she had to meet up with Hans and their crew to start the next job. She just needed something in her system to keep her awake first.

"Hi, welcome to the Apple what can I get you today?"  
"Cup of coffee, black."  
"Yep, no problem. Please pull up to the next window for your total. Thank you." 12 seconds.  
She pulled forward. The window opened and she handed over the money. She always paid in exact change. 8 Seconds. Her mind wandered back to the job as she waiting for her coffee and she checked the time. 6:53. The woman behind the counter shifted and got her coffee ready. 47 seconds. The cashier handed the coffee over but dropped the lid on the ground. The woman chuckled and grabbed another lid and handed it over. 7 seconds.  
"Have a nice day!"  
"MmmHmm." 2 seconds.

Heavy traffic crawled across the road as she inched her car to the edge of the street. The snow was coming down even harder now. She waited for her opening. 23 seconds. Her car slipped on the ice as the car accelerated. 8 seconds.

She checked the time again and pulled into a parking lot. 7:02. Shit she thought. She looked around at the other cars. Everyone else was there except her. She even was able to spot Hans' car before she went inside the building she had parked in front of.

"You look like shit." Hans said, pulling her out of her memories.  
"Didn't sleep. Work." Hans eyed her up and down. Her hair was a mess, there were dark rings around her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled. Hans stared, emotionless.  
"You can sleep on the plane. Come on." They walked through the airport at a brisk pace. Elsa's suitcase rattled behind them. The open spaces, hallways and crowds of people all put her on edge. Hans led her to a private terminal section of the airport. Through a large window to her left she saw the plane. It wasn't particularly large but it was luxurious. The plane sat, painted in all black minus the word Arendelle painted on the side. Its wingtips curved upwards and its tail arched up and cut flat.  
"You like?" A man who she didn't notice was standing next to her said.  
"Is that ours?" She managed to say.  
"Perks of working for the Arendelle Corporation. She's fully stocked and ready to go."  
"Gulfstream G650ER." She blurted. All the specifications, blueprints, and other useful information involving the plane popped into her head.  
"Oh, you know your planes eh?"  
"No." An awkward pause. She really didn't. This sort of thing just happened. Most times she could anticipate the urges probing her mind. Sometimes she wasn't so lucky.  
"Well, if you think the outside is impressive, wait until you get inside."  
She looked at the man next to her. He offered his hand.  
"Kristof's the name. I'll be making sure our trip is a safe one, you have my word." He said and bowed almost mockingly before her. The corner of her lips pursed upwards .Her hand flew to her mouth. An attempt at concealing a smile.  
"Elsa Skyridge." She said. The man shifted his stance just a few inches in the opposite direction.

"You're not _the_ Elsa Skyridge though right?"

"Is there more than one?" The man gulped, now trying not to make eye contact. He looked around, trying to avoid eye contact by let his eyes linger on random objects. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just… I've heard the stories." Mechanically she moved closer to the man's face. Being so close forced him to look into her eyes. They seemed to pierce into his soul.  
"They're all true." She whispered and leaned back into normal pose. To Kristof though, that wasn't enough. He speed walked to the plane trying not to look back muttering to himself the whole way.

She turned to face Hans. He rolled his eyes at her.  
"What?" He just stared. "Maintaining a proper reputation is just as viable of a deterrent on a job as a gun." She argued. Hans just looked downward and shook his head. Although Elsa couldn't see it, she could tell he was smiling the whole time. She returned her gaze to the plane.  
"Who exactly are we working for?" She said. Hans smiled.  
"I'll debrief you on the ride over."


	3. Chapter 2: Chicago

**2**

 ** _Chicago_**

"So. Now were going to talk about…" _The most elegant of transitions. Clearly a modern day Shakespeare_ she thought. Her pen tapped the table. The projector above her head hummed. It lit specks of dust that were floating through the air. All around the table were big shot executives, CEO's vice presidents and representatives of the biggest corporations in the western hemisphere and _this_ was the best they could muster. An old haggard monotone woman. All potential creativity that no doubt existed when she was younger was completely gone.

"As you can see by looking at the graph…" The presentation changed slides and yet another graph appeared. _Jesus Christ_. Her mind wandered, more like meandered through the thoughts in her mind. Initially she tried to pay attention. The meeting started out fine. She took notes, asked questions, and engaged with every presenter of the morning, but, at some point between the man rambling on about taxes and now this woman, she started playing with her hands. She counted the ceiling tiles, followed the curves of the table with her eyes. But, something about following those curves made her feel… desperate? Desperate for what? She shook off the idea. She didn't care in this state. She couldn't help but think about what was to come in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow she would be boarding a plane for… where was it again? The Bahamas? The Caribbean? She didn't know. All she knew was every picture she'd seen of the place was beautiful beaches, resorts, and tan lines. How long had it been since the last time she had been on the beach or even hand time to relax for that matter? Sure technically it was a business trip, but that didn't mean she didn't have time for a little R&R. She almost sighed aloud at the thought. Her, on the beach, lounging in a lawn chair, martini in hand, watching the wave's crash on the shore. One after the other. The white froth growing and dissipating at a constant tempo. Like a hypnotizer and his pocket watch. Growing and dissipating, growing and dissipating.

"I'm sorry am I boring you Miss Arendelle?"

The voice cut though her dreams. She bolted upright and looked around to see everyone staring at her. The cold and distant voice belonged to the old woman whose eyes bore into her the deepest, like twin purple knives. _Wait were her eyes purple?_  
"Miss Arendelle." She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth as professionally as a 23 year old CEO of one of the most powerful companies in the world, who just fell asleep at a meeting, could. She leaned forward and opened her mouth to say something before a hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back.  
"Miss Arendelle has been laboring all night in regards to her upcoming meeting. Unfortunately, this has hindered her ability to participate today. I think it would be best if we let Miss Arendelle retire. I can stay in her place and transcribe the meeting for her to review on a later date." Kai said, her assistant.

Kai had been working for the Arendelle family for years. Before her father died, he had been his assistant. He even helped run the company before Anna was ready to take over. Kai nudged her shoulder.  
"Yes. Perhaps that would be best." Anna said. Another nudge. "I apologize for the inconvenience." And with that, she stood up and walked out the door.

Anna stepped out into the cold Chicago air. A purple and blue knee length pea coat hugged her figure. They were her favorite colors and right now they billowed behind her. There was a reason they called it the windy city, she thought, hugging the coat tighter. She hadn't remembered what floor she had been on, only pressing the lobby button and wishing there was a faster way out of the skyscraper that towered behind her. Now she regretted leaving with such haste.

She left her hat and gloves at the meeting so the cold air permeated the thin layers she donned. She only hoped Kai would notice. _Of course he'd notice_ , he always kept an eye out for the girl. Events like the meeting happened on a regular basis. _He's like the cleanup crew for my own incompetence_ she thought. She shuffled to the edge of the curb, about to raise her hand to hail a taxi. Before she could, 3 black SUV's pulled up in front of her. The center SUV's door swung open to reveal a large burly man beckoning her inside.

"Kai informed us that you may need a ride." She almost face palmed in front of the man. She'd been CEO for almost two years now and she still forgot that she needs security escorts everywhere she goes.

"Yes, actually I do." She said, making a mental note to give Kai a raise the next time she saw him. With the help of the man in the car, she jumped inside. Both the driver and the man wore black suits. All men looked capable of handling whatever may be thrown at them. But in reality, nothing had even been "thrown" at Anna. She had a homeless man lunge at her once, but that was different.

"Where to Miss Arendelle?" She paused for a moment.  
"Back to the house." The man nodded. This was her life now, silent nods and nameless faces. The car began to move. She considered the man next to her.

He seemed just like any other security guard except he was bald. He almost looked like someone out of an action movie. He was built like a wall and looked like he ate nails for breakfast. His suit was well looked after. Probably custom tailored and dry cleaned with the ridiculous salary Kai, actually Anna, payed him. He was just like all the other security guards. A brick wall, emotionless and refusing to interact. Anna knew from experience, any attempt to talk to one of them would be just like talking to a wall. She noticed his tie, crooked off center, slightly to the left.

"You're…" she started to say. He turned to look at her. _Emotionless._ "It's…" she tried to speak again. "Oh, I'll just fix it." She leaned over in the car closer to the man and adjusted his tie. She looked up and, realizing how close she had gotten, blushed. _I almost feel like his mom._ She sat back down in her seat. _At least his tie was straight._ "So, what's your name?"  
"I'm not at liberty to dispose my name." Anna sat back into her seat, crossing her arms in a pouty manner.  
"You look like a Henry." The man raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Henry suits you." The car engine droned on as they picked up speed. "I knew a Henry once." She said. "He was a bit of a… bastard." Henry smirked for a split second. It almost seemed like a trick of the eye. But Anna saw it, just before it disappeared back into an emotionless face.  
"I remember back in high school we had the same lunch. B lunch I think. I went to a normal school. I know what you're thinking. Being heir to the biggest corporation this side of the Mississippi you would've thought they'd ship me off to some sort of private Hogwarts school or something, but Dad wanted me to know how to interact with regular people, especially the people I didn't like." She relaxed a little bit more and began unbuttoning her coat. "Can I take off the coat or are you also not at liberty to tell me that either?" The man just stared back at her. She set her coat on the seat in-between herself and the man.  
"So the silent game huh? So if I decided I was going to jump out of the car right now, you'll just sit there in silence?" The man hesitated again.  
The man pressed the "auto lock" button on the door.  
She rolled her eyes. The man just stared back, emotionless, but Anna sensed some humor in his eyes. She could almost hear her mother saying _anyone can put on a face, but the eyes_ , she would say, _the eyes reveal everything_. Since then Anna made a point of looking people in the eyes. She tried to analyze their every move and this man's eyes read humor.  
"So where was I? Oh yeah, B lunch…" She said and she talked and didn't stop until she was all the way home.

Her house was less of a home and more of a mansion. To conserve power, half the house was without heat or electricity. Which also meant that half of the house was completely empty. Like a skeleton left behind and forgotten. The rooms felt so sad, as if meant for something regal but cast aside and never to see the light of day. They will remain hollow and cold until someone filled the space.

This was why she felt it was important to go to one at least once a week, maybe a month if she was too busy and just sit. Sometimes she'd read aloud by candlelight to the empty rooms. Other times she'd bring some blankets and a pillow to nap. Why? Maybe she felt as if she was helping towards some greater thing. Perhaps she felt like one of the rooms herself. Maybe she was waiting for someone or something in fill the empty spaces in her life. She didn't know and didn't want to ponder the implications of that train of thought.

Instead she tossed the ideas aside as first world problems. She didn't realize she was remarking on this aloud until the car stopped in front of the front door of her house.  
"Well," she gathered the coat in her arms. "This is my stop."  
"It was a pleasure Miss Arendelle."  
"I'm sure it was." She said. The man payed no attention to her tone and unlocked the doors. She stepped out into the still frigid air. Although it was less windy, she still would've preferred the warmth of the summer sun. _Who would enjoy the winter?_ In Anna's eyes, anyone who would enjoy winter over the summer must be lying, or at least convincing themselves into a false truth. How could anyone resist the warm embrace of the sun? Or the gentle cooling breezes that rolled over hills? For a moment she re imagined her upcoming vacations. A small sense of giddiness reappeared in her stomach.

She turned to face her house. It was no wonder that children didn't want to visit her growing up. Its daunting demeanor screamed ominousness. Tall pillars lined either side of the giant wooden doors that greeted those who dared get close enough to the estate. A circular driveway led up towards the estates immaculate staircase which ended at the entrance of the home. It was in no ways modern. In fact, it resembled something like a castle from the mid 1500's.

"It was nice meeting you Henry." She said turning back to the car. She extended a hand. The man took it, his hand dwarfing Anna's.  
"You as well Miss Arendelle." She walked towards the house before the man stammered, "Olaf."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Olaf. My name's Olaf." Anna smiled ear to ear with a warmth like the summer sun she was reflecting upon earlier. The giddiness in her stomach grew stronger.  
"Well it was nice to make your acquaintance Olaf." She said, curtsying but slipping into her CEO voice. "You're a great security guard." _Could I have sounded any more robotic?_ And with a slight tinge of embarrassment, she disappeared inside the house.

If the outside of the house was daunting, the inside was even more so. The house opened up to a giant empty lobby sat with a two sided staircase that overlooked it. She remembered back to when she'd play tag with her father. There was a time, which seemed like ages ago by now, when her bare feet skipped across the lobby floor. Her father in tow. Giggles would echo throughout the hallways. She sighed at the memories and put her fingers on the bridge of her nose, squinting. Thinking about her father still caused her physical pain. She tried to shrug the feeling off and headed to her room.

In contrast to the rest of her house her room was plain. There were no lavish amounts of textiles, no immaculate rugs that one might expect. Her wallpaper was a plain purple and blue, the same purple and blue she was wearing currently. She tried her best to keep her room as normal as possible. A single twin sized bed, centered on the wall. A desk with a few books and a lamp, next to the bed.

On the desk was a book on Joan of Arc. It was open to the page she was reading last night. She had been trying to read through it lately. She loved Joan of Arc's story but loved even more when her dad used to read the book to her. However, actually reading about it was much more difficult that listening to her father read it to her.

Opposite the desk, her closet. Besides being a walk in closet with double doors it was nothing fancy. Although she did splurge on clothes every once and a while.

She collapsed forwards on her bed, her hair falling around her head, shielding her from the outside world. She had to pack. 2 weeks she'd be gone. She'd need clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste. Although she didn't doubt the fact that Kai most likely had the essentials she needed waiting at some house they'd be staying in. All she needed was clothes. Her mind filled with images of bikinis, skirts, tank tops and the like. She smiled into the covers of her bed.

She bolted upright, ran to her closet and swung it open. She pulled a suitcase off a high shelf. It collided with the ground with a thud. She dragged it across the ground over to her bed. She whipped in open and ran back to the closet. She began ripping clothes off their hangers, throwing anything that seemed comfortable in warm weather, into her suitcase.  
"Are you expecting to move anytime soon dear?" A voice said. Anna turned. Her fixed in place. It was Gerda her house maid. She was a nice, frail, old woman who had raised her in the absence of her parents. She looked down at the suitcase now heaping with clothes and broke a smile.  
"I'm… I'm just excited." She proclaimed. She picked up a tank top off the floor. "Imagine," she held the tank top up with one hand and gestured wildly with the other, "me, on the beach." She twirled around the room laughing. "It'll be warm, away from the city, away from the noises, the cars and the people." She stopped dancing to rest in front of Gerda "just the noises of ocean crashing onto the beach." Gerda just smiled.

"Well, only pack your clothes. Kai just called and said he's had everything else arranged."  
"I knew it." Then under her breath she said "That bastard."  
"Language!"  
"Sorry. Bad habit."

She had recently picked up swearing from all the board meeting she had attended. Few people realized how much cursing actually goes on behind those closed doors. No wonder her father had never let her sit in on the meetings when she was younger. She looked up and realized that Gerda had been staring at her.  
"I truly am sorry Gerda." She said sarcastically while smiling. Gerda's expression didn't change.  
"I have to talk with you about something serious Anna."  
"For goodness sakes Gerda, I'm 22, I can swear if I want to swear." Anna rolled her eyes.  
"No, this is about something else." Gerda bit her lip, which was a strange action, Anna thought, for a woman of her age. Anna tried to imagine her younger but she couldn't.  
"Anna focus." Gerda said.  
"Sorry." The old woman sighed.

"You know Kai is always looking out for you right?"  
"Well, yeah. Of course."  
"And he always wants you to be safe." Anna nodded.  
"Gerda what is this about?" Anna's professional voice said cool but commanding.

"Well, he hired the best security he could find for your meeting but…"

"Get to the point Gerda." Gerda glared at her.

"Please."

"It's just that I've heard stories about your new head of security. They were a little concerning and I'm just worried."  
"Who? Olaf? Olaf wouldn't hurt a fly. He's like a giant defensive teddy bear. Oh wait, should I have said that I know his name? Will he get in trouble for that? I don't…"  
"Anna."  
"Sorry. But honestly Gerda, Olaf's fine."  
"No, it's not Olaf. Kai hired a new head of security for your trip. It's… They call her 'The Ice Queen.'" At the sound of that name, although seemingly innocent, shivers ran down her spine. "I've heard stories, about her and her other jobs. I heard that she grew up in a mental asylum and only escaped because she killed her doctor with a nothing but a pencil. And when she was thirteen she took on 5 security guards and a guard dog, killed them all without even batting an eye. She's like ex-marines or navy seals or something. I even heard she made a guy kill himself just by staring at him."  
"Get out, that's absurd." Anna rolled her eyes.  
"I'm just telling you what I heard and I'm just saying you should be a little careful around this one. Try not to talk as much." Anna walked into her closet.  
"Gerda, there's no reason to worry. They're just stories, they don't mean anything."  
"Please. Be careful alright?"  
"Well, if I have to meet this Ice Queen, I might as well dress to impress right?"  
"What do you…?" Anna stepped out from her closet. "No." Gerda stuttered.  
"Yes."  
"You can't be serious."  
"Oh, I'm dead serious."

* * *

 **A/N** : Hey guys, thanks for reading my story so far. It's kinda a slow burn but I think it'll be worth it in the end. Just wanted to update people on my plans. Right now, I'm thinking at a minimum I'll release a chapter a week, probably on Sunday's. Ideally I want to upload two chapters a week but I don't know if that'll happen consistently. I've already written ahead to about chapter 7 but I want to keep them as a back up in case exams get me too busy to write for a week or so. That said, I'm also really exited for people to read it so I might just release a bunch of them. Who knows. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It means a lot. Feedback would be appreciated too, both the bad and good stuff. Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 3: Up in the Air

**3**

 ** _Up in the Air_**

Elsa waited on the tarmac in front of the plane. Behind her a whole host of people waited. Kristof was there, albeit more tentative than before. Hans stood behind her, as well as a man named Kai who was an associate of Arendelle Corporation. There was also some added airport security, although Elsa didn't know why. To her right, the plane sat, stairway open and ready for boarding.

On the ride over she managed to fix any sort of noticeable defect in her appearance. Now she stood with a clipboard in hand, waiting for the alleged CEO to arrive.

Hans had debriefed her on the plane ride over. The client was some CEO of some massive company who could afford their pay scale. That was all she needed to know and was all she decided to remember of the wealth of information Hans had thrown at her.

Elsa looked at her watch. 8:07:32 am. Arendelle was 7 minutes and thirty two seconds late. _What was taking so long?_

The CEO of the Arendelle Corporation was some Prince who inherited the entire company when original CEO died, which also happened to be the prince's father. So she had figured this type of thing would happen. _He was probably planning to be late to the plane ride_ , Elsa thought. _Just so that he could make some sort of snobby rebellious point about being in charge_.

She hated working with rich snobs. They would always hold the same smug expression on their face whenever they commanded Elsa. It read something like "I can make you do what I want because I pay you." _God, the arrogance of that look_. She mentally cringed, careful not to actually cringe.

She heard the light sound of an engine rumbling in the distance. She used the clipboard to block the rising sun from her eyes. The heat haze from the tarmac blurred the ground but she could just make out the lone figure now barreling towards them.

Black, low to the ground, small, two wheels, high speed. _MV Agusta F4 1000 R_. The name popped into her head which was now flooded with information. _175 horsepower with a top speed of 185mph. Average Cost: $20,000_.

As the figure got closer, 3 black SUV's also tore onto the tarmac, trying to keep up with approaching the motorcycle. At the last second, the motorcycle turned, drifting in a large arc until stopping in front of Elsa and the crew around her.

The figure sat for a moment on the bike before taking its black leather gloves off one finger at a time. In fact, this person dressed only in leather of some kind or another. The coat was black, with a zipper up the front, tall collar and button on top. Black boots, black helmet black everything. Apparently Arendelle had a thing for black.

The figure removed the helmet with a grunt revealing long copper hair. _Arendelle is a woman?_ Elsa thought. As shocked as she was, her face revealed nothing.  
"Ugh! I can barely breathe in that damn thing." The woman exclaimed, throwing her helmet on the ground. Kai rushed to her side grabbing the helmet and bushing it off. The girl noticed Kai walking towards her with the helmet.

"And you," she said, pointing a finger at Kai. He stopped in his tracks. "Do you have to do _everything_ for me?"

"Well, it is my job Miss Anna." She rolled her eyes.  
"Are you gunning for a raise? Because at this rate you'll be making more than me by the end of the year." Kai chuckled.  
"I wouldn't dare."

The girl ran her hair through her fingers causing it to bounce in curly bronze locks. She stepped of her bike. Her gazed fixed on to Elsa.  
"So you must be the woman I've been hearing so much about." She said but in a different tone this time. A little more jaded and distant but also commanding it its own right. The woman grabbed Elsa's hand. "Anna Arendelle. It's a pleasure to be in acquaintance with someone of your," Anna paused, "stature."  
"The pleasure is…" Elsa was cut off by the sound of a car screeching to a halt. The three SUV's had finally reached them. A large bald man stumbled out of the car before it even stopped and ran to Anna's side, clutching a walkie talkie.  
"Subject is secure." He said into the device. "You know Miss Arendelle, it is much easier to protect you if we can see you."  
"You guys are too slow." She shrugged. "Get faster cars."  
"They are fast cars Miss Arendelle." The girl rolled her eyes again. The second time in less than five minutes Elsa noted. Anna's attention turned to someone else standing behind Elsa.  
"Kristof? Kristof!" She ran to him and caught him off guard with a bear hug. Her momentum almost knocked them down. "I haven't seen you in ages." Anna let go and eyed him up and down.  
"Captain Kristof, at your service." He mock bowed.  
"Oh stop it." She said. "How is Sven today?" Kristoff looked over to the plane.  
"He is ready to go _Miss Arendelle_."  
"Don't you go and start calling me that too!"

In all the commotion and attention centered on Anna, Elsa took that moment to slip away onto the plane. She hated crowds. Her footsteps silent on the stairs leading inside.

Kristof had been right about the inside of the plane. It was far more elegant than the outside. Upon entering the plane, on the immediate left was the cockpit and on the right was a narrow hallway leading to the living space. The floor was short carpet with winding designs that one could get lost in if he or she was so inclined. The color scheme matched that of Anna's outfit. A modern black contrasted with highlights of white.

She passed through the hallway which doubled as a kitchen/bar area and into the living space. To her right and left were pairs of chairs that faced each other. Further down on the left were was a couch. Opposite the couch, a television. Next to the television, on the right side, was a booth with a floating wall table in it. She decided to sit at the booth.

She slid into the seat and looked out the window. Anna had finished whatever small talk she had been having with Kristof and was now talking to Hans. Anna laughed without holding back, gripping her stomach with one hand.

 _This is going to be a long trip_.

Elsa disliked people like Anna. For starters she was the type of person where everything was handed to her. Everything. This plane, that motorcycle, hell, even those god awful leather clothes. She hadn't earned any of it, not like Elsa had. Everything Elsa owned she had earned through the work she did. Even though it wasn't the prettiest work, she still bought everything herself.

Elsa tightened the gloves on her hands by pulling down on of the bottom cuffs. She also didn't like Anna's personality. Talking to all those people. _She's so dependent on them_ , _constantly striving for their attention. Why would someone want attention?_ Elsa decided she'd never understand.

Outside it looked like everyone was ready to leave. Kai shook Anna's hand but she pulled him into a hug. He protested at first but gave in.

Yet at the same time there was something desirable about the girl. Being able to always say exactly what she thought and act on her emotions was commendable in its own way. It's something Elsa was unable to do, or if she was, she'd never allowed herself to.

"Will the flight be long?" She heard Anna say. She must be inside now.  
"13 hours at most." Kristoff replied. Anna groaned.

Elsa gathered herself. She smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt. She touched her braid, running her fingers down it out of habit.

Anna entered the main cabin. There was a slight bounce in her step. There was a rhythm to the way she walked, Elsa noted. It was like a dance. Quick then slow, quick then slow. Anna collapsed onto the booth on the other side of the table. Elsa maintained her rigid posture.

"Hello." Anna said.  
Elsa managed to nod. There was an awkward pause as the two sized each other up.  
"So…" Anna started pulling her shoes off one by one allowing them to fall onto the floor. "Ah, that's much better." She wiggled her toes though her socks, "What's your name?" Anna examined her.Elsa swallowed. Although it was a simple question she chose her words deliberately.  
"My name is Elsa. Elsa Skyridge. I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier. I know that's customary for," She paused, looking down at the table in thought.  
"For people in the states?" Anna offered.  
"No, I was going to say among people." Anna sat back with a confused look plastered across her face.

 _Had I said something wrong_? Elsa wondered. "We should review the itinerary." Elsa said pulling a folder out from beside the table. "Hans?"

Hans had managed to make his way onto the plane and was now looking at a newspaper while sitting on the couch across from them. He looked up and seeing what was going on stood up, put headphones on, and walked to the back of the plane. "So when we land-" Anna bolted onto the table on all fours. She was within inches of Elsa.

Elsa could smell her perfume. In a strange way it reminded her of summer. It was light and airy, just like a summer breeze. She could see each individual eyelash on Anna's face, count her freckles. How long had it been since someone had initiated been this close to her?

She held her breath or maybe she couldn't breathe. Anna reached her hand out and moved a hair, Elsa hadn't noticed, out of her face. She tucked it into Elsa's braid, out of the way. As fast as she sat up, she sat down.  
"Sorry. I have this thing with people." She said, blushing. Elsa blinked. "It's just, if we're gonna be talking for a while, I'd rather everything be" She gestured towards Elsa with her hands, "in place when I look at you."

Elsa just nodded. _Was this what it felt like to be in shock?_ It had been years since someone else had touched her bare skin, she made sure of it. But this person, whom she'd only just met and didn't like all that much, had come so close. _How dare her._ She'll have to stay more diligent around Anna, she decided, adding that tip to her ever growing list of mental notes on the girl.  
"Apology accepted." Elsa looked back down at the folder but could still feel Anna's eyes boring into her. "So the itinerary suggests-" Elsa started to say.  
"I've heard the stories." Anna said.

 _She just doesn't quit._ Elsa thought, making yet another mental note. She dreaded what came next.

"How many of them are true?"

And there it was. Anna had held out more than most but it always come back around to the stories. No one cared for Elsa. They only cared about the stories she carried. How could they care about her though? She was an atrocity and the stories confirmed it. The closest she'd ever come to someone who cared was Hans, but he only cared for the job. For him, caring was just a means to an end. Anna, just like everyone else, would ask about the stories and abandon her and then she would feel just as vile and worthless as she always did. With that line of logic, Elsa decided it would be best to avoid them completely.  
"I don't see how that's relevant here."  
"Well, how do I know if you can protect me?"  
"My ability to perform has already been reviewed by your associates. I have acquired the contract for job, I see no need to prove myself to you as you don't seem to make those types of decisions."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" What Elsa said must've hit a nerve. The girl sat up straighter in her seat.  
"I mean nothing by it," Elsa said, folding her hands on the table. "I'm merely remarking on the fact that although you're official title dictates that you are CEO, you aren't actually qualified to make decisions and thus I don't need to prove my aptitude to you."  
"I'm more qualified than you are. I make multimillion dollar decisions daily. My net worth is more money than you will ever see in your life." Anna said. She was using the same voice as the first time they talked, the commanding one.

"I don't doubt that." Anna chuckled to herself.

"Exactly, which is why I don't see you on the face of magazines and running a multimillion dollar company."  
"I didn't exactly have a rich father either." The tone in the room changed to all-out war.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Anna said. She stood up, spreading her arms out in an offensive pose.  
"Miss Arendelle, I'm not someone you want to pick a fight with. Now, please," Elsa gestured to the seat Anna had been sitting in. "The itinerary."

"Neither am I." Anna said. Her attention turned to the folders Elsa held in her hands. "Fuck the itinerary." Anna pushed the folder off the table, sending papers flying everywhere. Now Elsa stood up. "What did you say about my dad?"

"I didn't say anything about your father." Elsa cocked her head. "However, I was implying that you simply inherited his legacy rather than earn it, if you were unable to perceive my implications."

"You got a problem with me?"  
"Not a problem that I am aware of."  
"Then when are you trying to pick a fight huh?" Anna said. She pushed Elsa. Caught off guard, Elsa stumbled back. She fought her instincts to fight back, but she knew she couldn't hold them off for long. She could hear blood rushing in her ears.  
"Anna, calm down. You're making a mistake."  
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down" Anna pushed Elsa again. This time Elsa stood her ground but her fingers twitched.

Elsa could feel time begin to slow down. She felt her pupils dilate. She could _feel_ everyone on board the plane. She could hear Hans' music playing all the way on the other side of the plane, he had taken out his headphones, his leg muscles tensed as he started to move. She could sense Kristoff. His back ached from sitting in the seat, his arms were crossed. Elsa's hands pulled into fist.

 _No no no_.

"Anna," She tried to say firmly but her voice faltered. "Anna please," Elsa put her hand up. She began took small steps backwards. "Stop. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You can't hurt anyone. As far as I know, you're just a stone cold bitch." Anna took a step forward, this time her arm was pulled back to punch Elsa. Elsa no longer saw Anna. She no longer saw the plane. She didn't even know where she was. Instead she saw a threat approaching her with hostile intent. Instinct took over her entire body. Everything happened in slow motion.

She deflected the punch easily off to her side. Then she rushed forward and, using the woman's momentum against her, she reached her free arm out around the woman's neck and pushed her arm upward, shifting the woman's balance. Then she pushed the woman to the ground, knocking her off her feet, executing a perfect takedown.

Elsa ended up crouched over top the mass of black leather on the ground of the airplane, the breath knocked out of her. Elsa's right hand was around the figure's throat while her free hand raised in a fist. She heard the shifting of material. Jeans? Cloth? _The man behind her._ She turned to face him.  
"Elsa calm down it's me, Hans."

 _Breathe._ The man took a step towards her. _Threat_.  
"Just let go of Anna alright."

 _Anna?_ Elsa felt her grip around Anna's throat loosen. Anna turned over and started coughing.

 _Breathe._ "That's it…"The man took another step. _Threat_.

Elsa moved like lighting. She shifted her position on the floor, bolting towards the man. Her leg shot out and made contact with the side of his head. She used her leg to pull the man down towards the edge of the table. He collided with a loud thunk.

Everything was silent. The plane hummed. Elsa closed her eyes. _Breathe._ Elsa's fist released its clench. The fire in Elsa's eyes died. Elsa blinked, realizing what had just happened.

"You're a god damn robot." Anna wheezed.

"Anna, I apologize." Elsa stood up, turned around and offered a hand to Anna. Anna swatted it away.  
"No. Apology not accepted. What the fuck was that?"  
"I didn't mean to harm you."  
"You looked like you were ready to kill Me."  
"I didn't mean to." Elsa whispered. Anna got herself up off the ground and stormed off towards the cockpit. Before she entered the cabin she spun around.  
"No wonder they call you the Ice Queen." Elsa winced at the name. "You know, they told me stories about you. Crazy stuff. They called you a monster. At first, I didn't believe them. Well, turns out they were right. They couldn't be more right." Anna said. "As soon as this plane lands you're fired."  
"That's highly unlikely as a breach of contract…"  
"FIRED." Anna shouted. She turned and entered the cockpit slamming the door shut behind her.

Elsa looked over at Hans who was unconscious on the ground. She sighed. She walked over to him and checked his pulse. He was still alive. Judging from the head wound, she hadn't injured him that bad although that kick was extremely… forceful. Approximately 6 hours before he regained consciousness, 23 days before a full recovery.

 _That could've gone better._ Was Elsa's first thought. Why didn't she just answer Anna's question in the first place? All this could've been avoided. Elsa dragged Hans by his arms and set him on the couch. The returned to the table and crouched down, picking up the papers that spilled on the floor. _I've failed again. I put other people in harm's way._ Elsa decided, as much as humanly possible, she'd have to make sure something like this didn't happen again and somehow, she'd have to make it up to Anna. Hans however… Elsa looked over at the man snoozing on the couch. He was used to this sort of thing. Redemption with him would be unnecessary. Elsa sat down and straightened the papers against the table. She reviewed the itinerary one more time. A light bulb in her head clicked.


	5. Chapter 4: The Island

**4**

 ** _The Island_**

"What happened?" Kristoff said after he heard Anna yelling and then storming into the cockpit.  
"Nothing. Shouldn't you be focusing on the plane?" Anna huffed as she collapsed onto the co-pilot's seat.  
"It's on autopilot and you didn't answer my question."  
"The damn ice queen, that's what happened."  
"Did she hurt you? Anna, I swear, if she laid a finger on you I'll-"  
"You'll what? Kristoff, no offence, but you couldn't hurt her if you tried." Anna said. She looked over at Kristoff. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just… she's like a god damn brick wall, just like the rest of them." She added under her breath.  
"Like the rest of who?"  
"Nothing. It doesn't matter. So, how's Sven flying today?" Anna said changing the question.  
"If you think you're just going to be able to brush this one off, you're wrong. I'm not gonna let this one slide alright? Now just tell me. What happened?"  
"I don't want to talk about it okay? Geez, you're acting like Gerda or something." Kristoff paused for a minute.  
"That sounds more like you" He said, smiling.  
"Oh, shut up." She fake pushed him. Her smile faded after a few moments. Her neck was beginning to hurt where Elsa's hand had been. The adrenaline from nearly dying because of that woman must be wearing off. She rubbed it carefully. "When we land, Kai is gonna get an earful."  
"I don't wanna be on the other side of that conversation." Anna leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.  
"I'm gonna get some shut eye." She said.  
"I'll try and keep my conversations with Sven to a minimum." Kristoff said. Then he whispered "You still have to tell me what happened." Anna turned her back towards Kristoff.  
"Later." She mumbled.

"I want her gone." Anna said into the phone. They had landed a few hours earlier. She didn't say anything to Kristoff after the fight, despite his consistent questioning. Now she was sitting on the side of a bed in a hotel room. A transfer point to allow her to collect herself and for Elsa and her people to prepare wherever the hell they were taking her.  
"We can't just fire her" Kai said on the other end of the phone.  
"Why not?"  
"It's too late. No one else can take the job."  
"Well then I'll just go alone."  
"You know you can't do that." Anna grunted angrily. "You do know exactly where you are right? Tuvanau isn't the friendliest tropical island in the world. You need a security team, you can't do it alone."  
"And why not? I'm not a little princess alright? I can take care of my self."  
"Uh, because kidnappings and crime rates not to mention they're in the middle of a civil war. All things that make you front page news not because you landed the biggest acquisition in the history of this company but because you'll be dead. I'm sorry Anna. My hands are tied." Anna sighed.  
"But you don't understand Kai. She's insufferable." Kai laughed on the other end of the phone.  
"Have a nice trip Anna. Enjoy the weather." Kai said. That was another thing she hated about Elsa, she was so angry she couldn't even enjoy the sun after she got off the plane.  
"Are you hanging up on me? I swear to god if you hang up that phone." She heard a dial tone. She slammed the phone back down on its receiver. "Dammit!" She said aloud. She laid backwards onto the bed. There was a knock at the door.

"Miss Arendelle?" A voice said from the other side of the door. It was a woman's voice. The Ice Queen. "We will be leaving in 5 minutes."  
"I'm not going anywhere with you, you Ice Bitch." Anna yelled. There was a pause at the door.  
"As amusing as your insults are Miss Arendelle, it doesn't change the fact that we are departing in 5 minutes and you will be in our company."

As much as Anna hated to admit it, Elsa was right about her not making the decisions. She had no control. She couldn't even fire Elsa for crying out loud. And now, the woman who nearly killed her would be whisking her away to some unknown place. It didn't seem right. Anna grabbed a nearby pillow and screamed into it. When she sat up for air she beat the pillow with her fists.  
"Damn witch woman," She muttered. "Telling me what I can and can't do. What right does she have?"

She refused to let Elsa win. Whatever little victories Anna could manage, she would. She decided she'd try and enjoy the weather in the few minutes of solitude that Elsa offered. She got up and looked out the glass slider door that led to a small patio. She was on the 5th floor of a hotel that looked over the beach. To her suprise, the beach itself wasn't swarmed with people despite the beautiful day. The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue. She could see a breeze roll through a handful of palm trees.

She tried to pull on the handle of the door. It didn't budge. She pulled again. Nothing. She looked at the lock. It was in the unlocked position. She flipped the lock anyways and tried pulling again. Nothing.  
"Hey Ice Queen," She said "Did you bolt this door shut?" There was a pause.  
"We had to look at all security options." Elsa said from the other side of the door.  
"What kind of person do you think I am?"  
"I should let you know that I originally had the door unlocked but circumstances changed and I did not want you to do something irrational."  
"You what?!" Anna said. She could feel the rage bubbling up insider her again. "What did you think I was going to do that was irrational? Jump off?"  
"I had to look at it from all angles."  
"God woman. How low do you think I am?" Another pause from the other side of the door.  
"It's time to leave." Elsa said, changing the subject.  
"For a robot you really know how to get under someone's skin!" Anna called back. The door unlocked. Anna stepped back and grabbed the phone from off the table, gearing up for a fight. The door swung open but instead of the Ice Queen, Kristoff stood in the doorway.  
"Come on Anna." He yawned. He motioned her to leave.  
"No."  
"Anna please."  
"Kristoff you don't understand. This woman… I can't stand her. Every second is like torture." She proclaimed.  
"Trust me Anna. I understand." Anna blinked. "Well, she had to convince me to come get you didn't she?" Anna blinked again and then smiled.  
"I can't imagine how that went."  
"Not well. There was a lot of staring." Anna laughed. ""Now come on, you don't wanna be late." He said Anna set the phone back down. "We don't wanna disappoint the Ice Queen eh?" Anna laughed again.  
"This is going to be a fun trip."  
"A blast."

Kristoff led her out the door and into the hallway. Elsa stood there, waiting for them. As much as she hated Elsa, she had to admit, Elsa was beautiful. She had the palest milky white skin Anna had ever seen. She wore a similar skirt as the one yesterday that revealed her legs. _God her legs!_ Anna avoided looking at them, she wouldn't give Elsa the satisfaction. Instead her eyes landed on Elsa's face.

Anna had always praised herself on her ability to read people but Elsa was a mystery. Her all too perfect piercing blue eyes revealed nothing. Anna thought that Elsa's mind was emotionless and jaded. _Oh how fitting the woman's nick name was_. It was a shame that although physically Elsa was perfect, her mind couldn't match her body.  
"Come on Ice Queen" Anna sneered. And then she saw it. Elsa's face remained steadfast, a clear cut emotionless deadpan, but her eyes twitched. Just the faintest flicker behind them. Anna thought she might've been seeing things.  
"Are you just going to stand there or are we going somewhere?" She said. Nothing. They started moving. "Ice queen." Anna said under her breath, paying close attention to Elsa. There it was again. It was faint but there _. Emotion_. Anna couldn't place exactly what emotion Elsa had felt but she knew it was negative. Anna applauded herself.  
 _1 point Anna_.

They took the elevator down in silence. They went straight through the lobby and out the front door. Outside three black unmarked SUV's waited for them. _How original_ Anna thought. It was weird to think that it had been just over 24 hours since she was in Chicago. She shrugged the weird feeling off and got in the car. She scooched as far as she could inward to make room for Kristoff but then realized he wasn't there. The car door closed shut.

Out the window she could see Kristoff walking back towards the airport. Elsa was making her way to the other side of the car. Anna rolled her window down.  
"Kristoff." She yelled after him. He turned, caught off guard.  
"Yeah?"  
"You're not coming with us?"  
"No." He said. "Sadly I have a plane to catch."  
"Oh har har." She paused. "Will I see you again before we leave?"  
"You'll see me right when you leave. You'll need a ride out of this dump right?" Kristoff said smiling.  
"Yeah, I guess."  
"Hey, cheer up. It's not all bad. At least it's nice and warm here, beats Chicago." Kristoff said, walking backwards.  
"It was nice seeing you!"  
"You too." Anna started to roll her window up and the car began to move.  
"Wait! I don't get a hug before you go?" Anna shouted out the window. Elsa entered the car and the door closed with a slam.  
"We have to go. Now." Elsa said checking her watch. Her cold voice contrasted the warm humid air. The car picked up speed and Anna had no choice but to roll her window up. "I made some last minute changes to the itinerary if you want to take a look." Elsa said pulling a file out from the front seat pocket.  
"I really don't care." Anna said. Elsa paused. She put the folder back.  
"Very well." She said. She played with her braid a moment before looking out the window.

The cars flew through the streets of the small town, the Capital, based on what she'd heard. The city sat around a large alcove that sloped upward as it went inland. It started at the beach and extended outward a few miles before degrading into jungle. The roads curved in and around a series of medium sized concrete buildings that lined the landscape. None of the buildings looked over 4 or 5 stories tall from what Anna could see.

The car flew down winding roads and rushed over hills. Market vendors lined the streets selling all different kinds of tropical fruit. The city was alive with commotion. Groups of people swarmed the edges of the streets, tourist and locals alike. The city began to thin out as they reached the outskirts of it.

As they left the city, a sign fading behind them read: "Welcome to Tuvanau" with floral print patterns on it. Without warning, Jungle seemed to swallow them whole. Anna almost asked where Elsa was taking her but Anna refused to give her that satisfaction. A bump in the road caused her to hit her head on the ceiling.  
"Ouch." She exclaimed. Elsa didn't move from her seat. Anna rubbed her head, inspecting the spot where a bruise would no doubt soon form. They got off the main road and went down what looked like a long driveway. The cars slowed and stopped in front of a rustic looking cabin.

The cabin was practically on the beach. Around the sides and back was a large porch area with a few tables and chairs scattered across it. The view of the ocean was flawless, like something out of a postcard. On the side closest to them was the main entrance, a single door, nothing special.

"This is where I'm staying?" She asked, her tone neither sarcastic nor angry. She was in shock more than anything. She always stayed in fancy hotels or high end beach resorts but a cabin? She'd never anticipated that was where Elsa had been taking her.  
"I…" Elsa paused, choosing her words. "Kai arranged this place for you to stay at. He said at some point you told him," Elsa pulled the itinerary out again "I quote, 'I hate this god damn city, sometimes I wish I could just get away from it all.' End quote." Anna smiled. Kai knew her all too well.  
"It's perfect." Anna said.

Why hadn't she thought of it before? She needed to get away from the pressures of being CEO for once and this place was somewhere she could finally relax without having someone breathe down her neck. Well, not exactly. Elsa would be breathing down her neck the entire time. _I gotta give that man another raise_ she thought.  
"Well?" Anna said "What are we waiting for?" Anna let out a childish giggle and whipped the car door open, rushing towards the cabin to get a look inside. She kicked her shoes off as she ran. She felt the soft earth mixed with sand beneath her feet. _So much better than high heels and linoleum,_ she thought. She grabbed the door handle, and paused for a second before yanking it open.

Inside was almost exactly like she expected. It looked like something out of a travel magazine. To her left, a matching set of blue and white lounging chairs and a couch sat around a table. To the right was a kitchen with a center island and a few appliances. A large floor to ceiling window showed the beach front past the furniture on her left. She could see the ocean waves crashing on the shore. Walking further into the living room, she saw two rooms on the wall farthest away from her. On the left was a bathroom on the right was… her room?

She stepped inside the right doorway. It was an almost exact replica of her room although it was a little smaller. Her bed was a queen size, and it lacked the closet space she enjoyed. They even had her desk with Joan of Arc open to the exact page she had left it back home. She ran her fingers over the pages. On her bed was a giant basket filled with chocolates and a note. She walked over to it and grabbed the note.  
It read _I hope this makes up for the plane ride, -Kai._ She flipped the card over, the back was empty. Who else would know of her obsession for chocolates?

Anna unwrapped a piece of chocolate and popped it in her mouth. She let out a small groan. It melted in her mouth. _Chocolate makes everything better._ Anna heard a knock at the door. She turned to the noise. Elsa stood in the doorway.  
"I hope everything is arranged as needed." Anna just nodded. "Good. Well, the rest of the itinerary is clear for the day so you can…" Elsa paused. "Do whatever it is that you do. However, I will need to be there at all times of course. Just to make sure you are properly protected." Anna began to protest. "I won't be cumbersome. I just need to be close enough to intervene if necessary."  
"Classic Ice Queen, ruining fun as always." Anna saw the flicker behind the woman's eyes.

2 points Anna.

Although Anna was only keeping track of her own points she still felt like she was falling behind Elsa.  
"So Miss Arendelle, what next?"  
"I can go anywhere?" Anna said, licking chocolate from her fingers. _Where had Kai gotten this chocolate from?_  
"Yes, I suppose so. You are in complete control. " Elsa said. Anna thought for a moment. She had the advantage. _Where could I go that would be a complete nightmare for security?_ She thought.  
"I want to go to the mall."  
"The mall?"  
"Is there a problem?" Elsa just stood in the doorway, an emotionless expression plastered over her face. "You said anywhere I want." Anna said. Elsa let out a small sigh.  
"If that's what you want."

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading my story so far! I really appreciate it! Love the reviews, they made me laugh reading through them. You guys were kinda upset that Anna was so bitchy, but don't worry, just bear with me. It's all going somewhere. This is the last chapter where Anna is overly bitchy so if that bothered you a lot, you should be fine after this. Sorry this one is a little shorter too, the next few a much longer to make up for it. Once again, thanks so much for reading!


	6. Chapter 5: The Mall

**5**

 **The Mall**

Elsa hated crowds. That's why she picked such a secluded cabin. It's also why she sectioned off an area of the beach. When Elsa gave Anna the option to choose whatever she wanted, Elsa assumed Anna would've picked sunbathing on the beach based on her internet research she did on the plane. Now she knows better. _Anna is a peculiar girl_ Elsa thought. Anna was intriguing, emotional, social, all things that Elsa was not.

At the same time, Anna had her own issues. She's annoying, pushy, angry… the list went on. Elsa remembered back to the plane, where Elsa had provoked Anna, albeit unintentionally.

She still needed to make it up to Anna. She never meant to hurt her. Elsa had considered buying Anna a gift while they were at the mall, if she could get the girl distracted enough, but what gift do you buy from a mall for someone who could buy the mall itself? Elsa didn't know.

Elsa pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It was too late to worry about the past, she had to keep Anna in her sights. _Where did that girl go?_  
"Security Team Two have you seen the target leave the store?" Elsa said into the watch on her wrist.  
"This is security team two, we have seen no such activity." The plastic earpiece responded. _She must still be in the store_. "Do we have a problem?"  
"Negative Security Team, hold your position."

Setting up security in the mall had been a nightmare just as she anticipated. Elsa decided she'd be at Anna's side at all times as the first line of defense. She then had two teams following them at a distance, and one team a few stores ahead of them. She even brought in extra security SUV's at every exit just in case and backup security SUV's in case the first ones failed. Elsa was not going to let Anna down again.  
"Boo!" Anna jumped out from inside a rack of clothes with a mask over her face. Elsa didn't even flinch. _At least she was enjoying herself._  
"Aw man, I totally got you." Anna said.  
"Got me what?" Anna just rolled her eyes.  
"Oh come on now, the Ice Queen doesn't get scared?"  
 _Ice Queen_. Every time she heard that name come out of Anna's mouth it was like shoving a knife deeper in her brain. It wasn't the nickname in itself that she hated, it was what it reminded her of.

Her nickname reminded her how distant she was from other people. No matter how hard she tried, Elsa could never be like one of them. It reminded her of the crippling loneliness she felt when she tried to sleep at night, most nights unsuccessfully. It reminded her of what she was, a monster. A killer. Worst of all, it reminded her of the innocent people she'd killed.  
"It doesn't happen very often." Elsa admitted. Anna had her mask off by now.  
"But it does happen doesn't it? See you do have feelings. Somewhere, deep down in that little fucked up noggin of yours." Elsa ignored her.  
"I feel like we should leave this store."  
"We've only been here five minutes."  
"True, but they are just like all the other stores. It's just… Clothes."  
"Just clothes?" Anna said, appalled. "These aren't just clothes, they're accessories. Every piece of clothing shows something about who you are." Anna grabbed a dress from the rack she had been hiding in and pretended to wear it. She struck a pose. "Don't you see?"  
"I understand the logic I just don't find the process enjoyable."  
"Enjoyable? The Ice Queen?" _The knife jammed itself deeper into Elsa's mind_ "I can't imagine you finding anything enjoyable. What exactly do you find 'enjoyable'?"

Now that, was a good question. Elsa rarely had free time, or rather, she rarely allowed herself free time. During the time she wasn't working she would usually be preparing for the next job. She would exercise, practice martial arts, or research prospective clients. However, lately, before falling asleep, she would find herself sitting in a comfortable chair, or looking out a window, and she would use that time to collect her thoughts.  
"I like to think." Elsa said with a slight nod, satisfied with her answer. Anna, on the other hand, was not.  
"You like to think? What kind of an insane person are you? Thinking isn't a 'fun' thing. Come on, you don't do anything else for fun?" Elsa shook her head. "Nothing? You don't go out with friends?"  
"I don't have any."  
"Oh." Anna said, somewhat struck by Elsa's response. Elsa felt herself slouch. Anna was right. She didn't do things for fun, that was too normal and Elsa could never be normal, she could never have friends, she could never see what it's like to go to school. The list could go on and on. It would've if Elsa didn't stop herself.  
"What about that guy from the plane?"  
"Hans?"  
"Yeah, what about him? You aren't friends with him?" Elsa thought for a moment.  
"Hans and I have a history. We have worked numerous jobs together. That said, I would still not consider him a friend. Long Time Work Associate is a more accurate term." Anna shifted her stance.  
"So you guys aren't like, ya know, a thing?"  
"A thing?"  
"You know, like you guys aren't dating or something?" Elsa smirked.  
"Hans and I?" Elsa grinned now. What an absurd idea. Hans and her together and as a couple. Did Anna think that? Elsa let out a small giggle.  
"Oh my god." Anna said, in shock. Elsa's smiles were cut short and replaced with concern.  
"What? What's wrong?"  
"The Ice Queen," the name still hurt, "has emotions." Anna threw her hands in the air. "May I have everyone's attention please?" Anna said, mock giving a speech. She took it a step further and clambered up onto a nearby table that had some folded shirts on it. A few shirts fell to the floor. "Elsa Skyridge, the fabled Ice Queen, has actual real emotions."  
"Anna, please, get down. You're attracting too much attention."  
"Oh come on Elsa, lighten up. I'm just excited that you aren't actually a robot."  
"I'm not a robot. I'm… more like a calculator because I'm something you can _count_ on."  
"Oh my god. Was that a pun?" Elsa nodded smiling. "She does humor now too? Who are you and what have you done with my head of security?" Anna said. Her smile mirrored Elsa's. Elsa looked up at the girl who was beaming down at her. Anna's look made Elsa feel… She didn't know how to place her emotions. She hadn't experienced enough of them to gauge them. She would have to do research when they got back to the cabin.  
"You should really get down from there." Elsa said.  
"Oh, fine." Elsa offered her hand to help Anna down. Anna hesitated but took it anyways. A woman in a store uniform began walking in their direction.  
"I think we should leave."  
"That's probably for the best." Together, they walked out the store and into the main section of the mall. People rushed by. In the center of the walkway were a few food carts. The smell of soft pretzels wafted in their direction. Elsa hated every second. Someone bumped into Elsa. Her hand shot out and grabbed him.  
"Sorry ma'am." The man said, shrugging her arm off.

She heard Anna scream. Elsa whipped her head around towards the direction of the sound. She could see Anna's copper hair bouncing 20 feet away down the corridor.  
"Anna!" Elsa called. She began pushing her way through the crowd. Like a snake she weaved around groups of people, keeping her vision locked on Anna's hair. "Team two move into position" Elsa said into her watch. The hair stopped moving. Elsa seized her opportunity shoving a few innocent people to the ground in her wake. She grabbed the girls shoulder, turning her around. "Anna." She said. Elsa was greeted by Anna's face in the widest grin she had ever seen.  
"They have a movie theater?" She proclaimed. "We've got to go see something!" Anna jumped up and down. Elsa was out of breath, still reeling from losing Anna. Elsa looked up. They were near the end of the mall. A giant old fashion sign with flashing lights read _Movie Theater_ above them. Further down, a few ticket booths and movie times were near the entrance to the theater.  
"Anna, don't ever do that again." She said, putting her hands on her knees. Two suited men came bounding down the corridor. Elsa put her hand up. "Everything is fine. The client is secure."  
"Can we see a movie? Please?"  
Elsa stood up straight. At that moment she realized she was taller than Anna, just by a few inches. Her gaze cast downward to look Anna in her eyes. "I said you can do whatever you want today. You don't even have to ask." Anna smiled. She turned towards the movie theater and started to walk but stopped when she realized Elsa wasn't with her. She turned back, "Come on!" Anna offered her hand. Elsa hesitated. Anna just rolled her eyes. "This way you won't lose me, now come on." Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and they rushed into the theater.

All the movies that were being shown were old. It must take a while for movies to be shipped all the way here. Anna had seen them all but she didn't care. She was just happy to be seeing a movie. She couldn't remember the last time someone had let her go to a movie theater. It had to have been years. She got a little carried away with the popcorn and snacks. She bought the biggest bucket they had, two bags of m&m's, and two large pops, even though it would just be Anna and Elsa in the theater.

Elsa had decided to leave all the guards just outside the exits except for Elsa, of course. Elsa had said she would remained by her side and Anna knew she meant it. Right now Elsa was sat next to her. She was holding the bucket of popcorn, eating pieces as the movie roared in the background. Anna decided on The Princess Bride. It was old, sure, but Elsa hadn't seen it.

"You haven't seen The Princess Bride?" Anna had said, back at the ticket counter.  
"That movie sounds like it lacks originality." Anna ignored her comment.  
"But you haven't seen it?"  
"No. I don't see very many movies."  
"It's a classic! You seriously haven't seen it?"  
"Yes."  
"You have?"  
"No. Yes, I haven't."  
"Well, whatever, we're seeing it."

Now the movie was almost over. Anna looked over at Elsa. For some reason, in the movie theater, Elsa's didn't hide any of her emotions. Perhaps it was the seclusion, or maybe it was the darkness, but one thing was for sure. It was far more entertaining to watch Elsa's face than it was to watch the movie. During the movie she saw Elsa breakout into fits of laughter, she saw her brow pushed together in frustration, and she even saw a few tears escape her diamond eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the theater.

For the first time, Anna saw Elsa. Saw her through and through. She didn't see her as an emotionless slate or just another body guard. In that theater she saw Elsa's loneliness, her sadness. She also saw how happy she could be, how much joy she could bring to other people. She saw Elsa for who she was, not what she did, even if what she did was hurt Anna less than a day ago. None of that mattered anymore. She saw herself in the Elsa as well. Elsa was isolated, kinda like Anna in her own weird sort of way, but then again, not at all. Whatever she was feeling now was too complicated to process during the period of one movie. What mattered now was what Anna decided in that moment. _She is a good person._ Anna thought. _She's not just another security guard. She's good and admittedly, deserves to be treated well._

The lights turned on. The movie must've been over. Elsa turned and faced Anna. Anna had been staring at her.  
"What?" Elsa said.  
"Ya know, for a while you had me fooled." Elsa shifted in her seat. "I thought you were just another brick wall." Anna leaned towards Elsa "but you're not." She sang.  
"Are you always this annoying after movies?"  
"Do you always cry during movies?"  
"Remind me to never see another movie with you again." Elsa huffed.  
"No, Elsa it's a good thing, it just means you're human." Then she paused. Her voice quieter and she said "but we can do this again sometime right?" Elsa blinked.  
"I do not see any reason why we would be unable." Anna smiled. Elsa looked down at the bucket of popcorn she had in her lap. "We should get food."  
"I know the perfect thing."  
"What?"  
"It's a surprise. Come on!" Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and pulled her out of the movie theater, the bucket of popcorn in her lap spilled all over the floor, but they ignored it. The two ran down the corridor of the mall and out the front door. Outside the SUV's waited for them. They got in and soon the cars were speeding down the streets, back towards the cabin.

Inside the SUV it was silent, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Something was different now. Usually Anna felt like she needed to fill the silence of her bodyguard ridden car rides with her own voice, but that need was gone now. She smiled as she watched the buildings pass by in blurs.

The buildings faded and they were engulfed in the jungle just like before. Anna took the time to study Elsa. The light from between the trees cast shadows across her face. Elsa's skin was pale, Anna had noticed that immediately after meeting her, but looking closely she noticed freckles just under the surface of her skin. Her hair was pulled sideways into a braid. Elsa seemed lost, deep in thought. Her hands raked up and down the braid. What she was thinking about Anna hadn't the slightest clue.  
"What did you think of the movie?" Anna asked.  
"I'm still thinking about it."  
"Yeah but did you like it or…" Elsa looked at her, annoyed. "Okay, okay. Sorry, I get it, you like to think." Elsa returned to looking out the window. Elsa's stomach growled.  
"What are we eating for dinner?"  
"You'll see." The bump in the road caused her to hit her head on the ceiling. "Agh." She exclaimed. "Not again." Elsa rushed to Anna's side.  
"Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" Anna pointed towards the part where she hit her head. Elsa grabbed Anna's head with her hands. She found the spot and massaged it. The pain dissipated. "How the hell did you do that?"  
"It's an old trick." Elsa said smiling.  
"Who'd you learn it from, Mr. Miyagi?" Elsa tilted her head. "You haven't seen Karate Kid?" Elsa shook her head. "Oh my god, we _have_ to watch more movies now."

The car slowed to a halt. They were outside the cabin. They stepped out of the car and walked inside. Well, Elsa walked, Anna half ran, half danced inside. As soon as she opened the front door she ran into the kitchen. Immediately Anna began looking through the cabinets. She pulled out various ingredients onto the counter.  
"Pancakes?" Elsa said.  
"Yes." Anna said giggling.  
"For dinner?" She said, still dumbfounded.  
"Yes!" Anna insisted. She didn't know how to make anything else but she didn't want to tell Elsa that. _The perfect end to a halfway decent day_ she thought. She poured the pancake mix into the bowl, along with whatever other ingredients they needed. Some eggs, milk, whatever. "You don't approve?" Anna said.  
"You could say I'm _flattened_ with shock" Elsa said. Anna stopped what she was doing.  
"That was terrible." Anna rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Come in here, I need your help." Elsa was standing in the living room of the cabin. She muttered something Anna couldn't hear but entered the kitchen anyways. Ingredients, some extra pancake mix as well as the batter she was making that had spilled out of the bowl in haste, were strewn across the counter.  
"What do you need?"  
"Take that spatula," Anna motioned, her hands were full mixing the batter. "And make some pancakes. The stove is hot, it should be ready by now."  
"Why do you need me?"  
"Well, I don't make the pancakes, I just make the batter, that's just how dad and I used to do it." In fact, she hadn't made pancakes since he died. "He always said I undercooked them, which makes sense I guess. I've never really been a patient person." Anna looked to the floor. For a moment she just stared at the ground. Elsa just nodded and grabbed the spatula off the counter.

"Don't worry, I think I can _handle_ … It" Elsa said, shaking the handle of the spatula and pulling Anna out of her daze.

"Seriously?" Anna smiled and poured the batter onto the skillet. It sizzled as it made contact with the pan. Then one after the other they made a tall stack of pancakes.

The two sat on the couch after they devoured their pancakes. Neither one had the patience to wait until they sat down. By the time they made it to the couch they held empty and syrup stained plates. They made room for them on the floor and collapsed onto the couch. Elsa sat on one end, Anna on the other. A breeze rolled through the room. Everything felt so… unprofessional. She was so relaxed. It seemed so unlike she should be. She was a CEO making a major deal, not some kid on a vacation. Kai never would have approved of this. A thought popped into her head.  
"Hey Elsa?" Anna asked.  
"Yes?"  
"Kai didn't pick this cabin, did he?" Elsa froze.  
"Of course he did. It's in the itinerary, do you need to look it over again." Elsa began to stand up but Anna grabbed one of her hands, and stopped Elsa. She guided Elsa back down to the seat.  
"Why we here?" Anna said. Elsa shifted in her seat. She stared out the window, refusing to make eye contact. "Elsa, you didn't bring me all the way out here to kill me right?" Elsa looked back at her and smiled warmly.  
"No."  
"Are you sure? You could make a whole lot of money kidnapping me for ransom." Elsa just shook her head, stifling a giggle. "Then why are we here and not at some fancy hotel Kai reserved?" Anna said.  
"If you want to go to the hotel we can. It is still reserved, I looked at it last week, and it's beautiful. It's got this giant window-"  
"You're changing the subject." Elsa sighed.  
"After the… incident on the plane I felt that my actions were unacceptable. I jeopardized ruining your trip. In response I decided the best course of action was to make the rest of your trip as comfortable as possible. I arranged the cabin for you in hopes that your trip could be redeemed despite my setbacks."  
"You did all that for me?"  
"It was necessary."  
"Necessary for Kai maybe but not for my head of security." Elsa considered this a moment but didn't say anything in response. "Why did you say it was Kai then?"  
"I felt that if I told you this morning that I was behind the cabin you would've said no." Elsa was right. She would've been too blinded by rage to see past anything. That seemed like so long go  
"The chocolates too?" Elsa sighed.  
"Yes."  
"The itinerary being cleared? The mall?"  
"Yes." Anna could feel tears begin to well up in her eyes.  
"You did all that for me?"  
"Of course."  
"But… Why? I was being a… a bitch… on purpose. I made you go to a mall even though I knew it would make you uncomfortable, I kept calling you names. Why? Why are you still nice to me?" She felt a tear roll down her cheek.  
"Because some people deserve it." She said, almost a whisper. Anna rushed towards the woman in a big bear hug.  
"Elsa I'm sorry" She said through tears. "I didn't know." Elsa sat, awkward and frozen in place. "I'm sorry." Anna repeated. After a moment, Elsa relaxed into the girls arms. She held her for a while. All Anna could say was "I'm sorry" on repeat. After they separated Anna wiped the tears from her eyes.  
"I should go to bed…" Anna said. She started to get up but looked over at Elsa first. Elsa motioned Anna into her lap. Anna laid across the couch, her head in Elsa's lap, as if they were old friends. For a while everything was quiet. Anna began to drift off into sleep. She felt Elsa shift underneath her.  
"You know, I don't like you very much." Anna said.  
"Well that's good because I don't like you very much either." Elsa said, smiling.  
"I think this could work out, just for a few weeks." Anna looked up at Elsa.  
"I think so too."  
"Your lap is very comfy." Anna said, snuggling in closer.  
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." A comfortable silence fell between them.  
"I'm gonna make it up to you." Anna muttered, drifting off to sleep.  
"You don't have to."  
"Yes I do. I'm gonna make it up to you so much. It's gonna be great." Anna yawned. The two fell asleep and all was good… for now.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading guys. This one was a little sappy kinda in the spirit of things though, being valentines day and all. So, I thought I'd leave a kinda sappy Authors Note. This is the last time I'm gonna say it, thank you guys so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, and whatever else you can do. Admittedly I'm not the most confident human being in the world but every time I read your reviews I get a stupid smile on my face. So thank you guys so much. I hope you're enjoying the story so far there is still a hell of a lot more to come.


	7. Chapter 6: The Stories

**6**

 ** _The Stories_**

Anna woke in Elsa's lap with a small drip of drool running down her face. Her eyes fluttered open. The sunlight wafted through the room. Anna was wrapped in a blanket. She didn't want to move. She was comfortable, more than comfortable actually. Something about the past few days had filled a hole in her heart. She didn't want that feeling to leave. Although the room was warm, she felt like she was getting up on a cold morning. If she moved she'd feel the cold air rush back into her life. Just like a cold morning, she didn't want the warmth in her heart to ever leave again. She turned to look up at Elsa. The woman was looking down at her. Her blue piercing eyes startled Anna. She could feel them analyzing every inch of her. She felt so exposed. But at the same time she felt so… free. If Elsa asked her anything right now, she'd answer it, without holding anything back. No secrets, just pure honesty.

"You're awake." Elsa said.  
"Unfortunately."

"You moved a lot. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby. Your lap is very comfy."

"So I've heard." Elsa looked at her watch. "We have a long day today." Anna groaned as all the responsibilities rushed back into her head. Anna grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head.  
"I don't wanna." She teased. Elsa stood up, sending Anna careening onto the floor.  
"Hey!" Anna said, now a jumbled heap of clothes and blanket. Elsa let out a short chuckle.

The next few days passed by rather uneventfully. Anna began to fall into a routine. She'd wake up to the noises of the tropics, usually in Elsa's lap. She'd make breakfast, get dressed, shower and the like. Then she'd make the trek back to the city. Once there she'd bear through the meetings, negotiate the acquisition of the Tropical Cruise and Tourist Company, Torres Corp, she had come there for in the first place.

Elsa stood by her side the entire time, like a brick wall. Although not reflective like the other guards, but protective. She made Anna feel safe, not alone. Elsa was like a stable base in her life that she never realized she lacked, something to reminder her that everything was okay. When Anna would become irritated or frustrated from meetings, she'd turn to Elsa to calm her. All she needed to do was look and she'd be grounded. Although, with Elsa around so much she did have to grit her teeth through Elsa's terrible puns.

She had a list of her favorites though. One day after a meeting with a particularly lengthy and boring discussion that kept circling around the market for snorkeling, Elsa said "Well that meeting went swimmingly." Anna couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile. Another time they were at the movie theater and Anna spilled pop on Elsa's skirt. "Good thing it was a soft drink." Once again, Anna just rolled her eyes and smiled. Elsa didn't know the joy that those little puns gave Anna, even though she pretended not to like them.

After the meetings, she was free to do what she wanted, with Elsa by her side of course. But Anna wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, she almost thought it was better this way, although she knew she only thought that out of greed. As much as she hated to admit, she liked Elsa, and if Elsa wasn't in a position to run away, then Anna was okay with it. She liked being able to talk to someone new who would actually talk back. Elsa was funny too, in her own sort of way. Every night after the meetings they would go back to the Movie Theater and watch some old movies, whatever the theater was showing. So far they'd seen E.T., The Lion King, Mulan, The Karate Kid, and The Goonies.

Well, at least Elsa had. Anna only half payed attention. She focused more on watching Elsa than anything else. She loved waiting to see Elsa react to her favorite parts. Even after 6 movies, Anna still didn't know why movies disarmed Elsa. Anna's theory changed every time. Her most recent theory was Elsa had a heightened sense of sympathy that she kept hidden away from the world. Anna still wasn't sure she was right or if she'd ever know. Instead she preferred to just observe Elsa rather than "look a gift horse in the mouth" so to speak.

After the movie they'd always go back to the cabin. The car ride home was always silent. Elsa said it helped her process the movie, but Anna didn't mind. A comfortable silence was as rare to Anna as showing emotion was to Elsa and during the car ride home, Anna could watch Elsa without Elsa noticing. Then they'd cook and eat pancakes together. Usually Anna would fall asleep talking to Elsa, Anna's head in her lap.

Today was Friday _._ Tomorrow would start the weekend, but more importantly, tomorrow the itinerary was clear. Elsa felt butterflies in her stomach as she thought about what she and Anna would do together. More movies? More pancakes? It didn't matter, as long as Anna was there. Elsa looked down at Anna. Elsa stood next to her in the last meeting of the day.  
"Well then, do we have a deal?" The woman across the Anna said. Anna wasn't paying attention. Her hands were pressed against her temples. _These meeting stress her out so much_. Elsa wished she could be more of a help. Anna looked up at Elsa and her face relaxed. She turned towards the woman.  
"It's a deal." Anna offered a hand. The woman took it, shaking it.  
"You've made a good decision today Miss Arendelle." They stood up together. "I think this is the start of something great."  
"I think so too. Which reminds me," Anna grabbed a note from a small bag she had next to her. "To start our success off properly, I'll be having a party on Monday. You and a guest are welcome to attend." The woman took the card.  
"Don't worry Miss Arendelle, I'll be there."  
"Please, call me Anna. We're co-workers now, no need for the formalities."  
"I'll be there Anna." And with that, the woman turned and rushed out the door, taking a few security guards and an assistant with her. As soon as the door shut, Anna let out a sigh of relief.  
"Well that negation was a cruise." Elsa said. Although Anna wasn't looking at her, Elsa could picture Anna rolling her eyes and smiling.  
"It was." Anna said. Elsa heard the smile in her voice. Anna shook her fingers in the air, releasing any nerves she still had from the meeting.  
"Pancakes?" Elsa said. Anna laughed.  
"Pancakes."

Together they rushed home and made the quick meal before collapsing on the couch. Anna was laying in Elsa's lap like usual. Elsa was petting Anna's hair with her gloved hands and everything else was still. The sun was setting through open glass door.  
"Tell me something about yourself." Anna said. Elsa thought for a moment.  
"I really like chocolate."  
"Is that why you got me chocolates when we first got here?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, I love chocolate too so it was perfect." Anna said. "Where did you get that chocolate anyways?"  
"I once did a job in Sweden. It was a small military contract. While I was there I had time to explore the country. I found the best chocolate shop in the world. Now I only buy chocolate from there. Everywhere else chocolate seems so… bland."  
"You've been to Sweden?"  
"Yes. I've been all over the place." Anna smiled at the thought. She imagined a younger Elsa traveling the world, protecting people.  
"That reminds me, how many of your stories are true?" Anna let out a small laugh. "I can't imagine someone who loves chocolate so…" Anna felt Elsa's hand pull away and her body stiffen. "What's wrong?" Anna looked up at Elsa's face. Elsa's features, despite glowing in the warm light, were cold. Anna sat up, she played with her fingers. "We don't have to talk about it." Anna said. Elsa was still frozen in place.

* * *

Thoughts raced through Elsa's mind. Should she tell her? She had a right to know, they had been inseparable for the past week, although, she was Anna's body guard so she should be by Anna's side at all times.  
"Elsa. I said, we don't have to talk about it. Its fine."  
"More than I'd like to admit." She confessed. "It's a part of the job."

Elsa winced as she waited for Anna to run off. She waited for a gasp and a not so subtle shift to another seat. Just thinking about it made Elsa shift in her seat.

"Can I," Anna started to say, "can I ask more questions?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. For a few moments she didn't respond. No one had ever asked her that. Mentally she weighed pros and cons of the possible conversations following her answer before talking again.

"Yes." She whispered. She decided it was worth talking to the one person who showed more than an ounce of interest in her.  
"I heard that you um…" Anna played with her hands. "Killed, 5 guys and an attack dog, unarmed, all at once _._ " _Should I be talking about this?_ Elsa thought, almost immediately regretting her decision.  
"Yes. 3 years ago, Afghanistan. There was a sandstorm. We were ambushed. I was on patrol. I reacted to the situation." Anna nodded, her face revealing that was probably not the answer she was looking for? Elsa was unsure. She wasn't exactly the best at reading people.  
"I also heard you, uh, got a guy to," Anna tentatively drew her thumb across her neck "by staring at him."

Elsa sighed. This was why she didn't like telling these stories. Why she liked answers that swept them under the rug. They brought back memories and scared people. Elsa could see fear creeping into Anna's innocent eyes. Anna had never seen war, how could she? She had grown up in the loving embrace of the high life. Her mind didn't deserve to be tainted with these stories. Elsa's body screamed at her to walk away. To stop talking now before things got worse, before Anna's warm blue eyes turned cold, before Anna would run away, before Anna realized what she was, but the girl was asking and Elsa said she would deliver.

She remembered back to the man in the story. He was behind a reinforced steel door. They stared at each other though double paned glass in the door. He was a prisoner of war. Somehow he had managed to get a sharp piece of glass in the room with him. Elsa must have overlooked it. She didn't check his pockets and allowed him to enter the room alone. _Why didn't I check his pockets_? Elsa had to watch as he stared her right in the eye and dragged the glass across his throat, spilling his blood onto the floor.

"That's not entirely true. He stared at me. I didn't do anything, I couldn't... react fast enough." She said. Anna nodded in the same fashion as before.  
"What about the one with the doctor?"  
"Doctor?"  
"Yeah, I heard a story that you killed a doctor with a pen, when you were really little. I never liked doctors growing up but…" Anna stopped herself. Doctor? Elsa thought. I've never killed any doctors. Then it clicked.

 _The orphanage._

How did she know? She got the basic details right, but mixed a few facts around. She had never told anyone about that day. It brought such feelings of guilt back into her life. Just thinking about it now wrenched the guilt back up from the inner depths of herself.

She had only ever killed 4 innocent people in her life and that woman was the first one. She remembered her face, it haunted her dreams at night and she'd wake up to it in the morning. She couldn't forget the look of surprise just before her eyes rolled back into her head. She remembered the feeling of the warm blood on her hands that had dripped from the pen. Why did she kill her? Why? WHY? It wasn't her. It couldn't have been her that must've been something else, some sort of monster. But that that made sense to Elsa, I am a monster.

If only she could've controlled herself. How would her life be different now? Her body filled with guilt, remorse, grief, too many emotions for her to handle. She wasn't used to feeling, especially not this much at once. Her eyes misted over with tears. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth. At this point Anna must have noticed because she began to panic.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean too… I should've stopped there, I was just so pushy, I…"  
"It's okay Anna."  
"No. It's not okay." Anna said with determination. She turned towards Anna. She couldn't help but smile. Anna could do that, make her smile. No one else had been able to before, ever. She looked down at her hands, they were trembling. She'd been in gunfights, hand to hand combat, she's stared death down, and nothing felt like the way she felt now. "You know, I don't talk very much." Elsa began, "Except when I'm around you. But…" She paused. "This past week, I've been thinking a lot lately about a lot of topics. I think I don't talk because I'm afraid. If people see me. If people see the _real_ me, they'll be horrified." Elsa looked down at her own hands. "And they should be. I am a monster. I'm an Ice Queen."  
"No you're not." Anna said. There was a short silence.  
"You're attempt to console me is not working."  
"Elsa. You are not a monster. I know the real you. I've seen the real you, alright? The real Elsa likes to watch movies. She likes to protect people and she goes out of her way to make sure they are truly happy. She likes to make terrible puns that aren't even funny." Anna smiled warmly. The smiled seemed to penetrate Elsa's soul. "And she likes to stay up late and eat pancakes. She talks to me at night when no one else wants to. She has the most comfortable lap in the world. She loves chocolate but hates crowds. She doesn't like to let people down. And she does this thing where she touches her hair when she's nervous and…" Anna was cut off by a hug from Elsa. Caught off guard, Anna was stiff at first but after a short moment they melted together. "You're good." Anna whispered in Elsa's ear. "You. Are. Good." Anna's voice sent shivers down Elsa's spine. She pulled Anna closer.

And for a while, they just held each other. Nothing existed outside of them. They weren't in a cabin, they weren't on a couch, instead they were being with each other, and nothing else. Every time Anna began to hint at pulling away, Elsa's grip would tighten again.  
"Elsa. You're… Crushing… me." Anna managed to say. Elsa shifted backwards, away from Anna, but not by much. Her arms rested on Anna's shoulders, Anna mirrored her. Their foreheads pressed together.  
"Sorry." Elsa whispered. "I don't want you to leave."  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
"If you do, I will always be close behind." Elsa looked into Anna's eyes. "That's a promise."

From there, somehow they ended up lying on the couch together. It just felt natural, Anna fitting into Elsa's arms. Anna was fast asleep. Elsa just held her, one arm underneath her cradling her, the other on top, petting her hair. She liked the warmth of Anna's body. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair. She loved the way it bounced in curls. Anna moved in closer to Elsa. There was something about the way that they fit together. It was perfect. Like two puzzle pieces that had been separated for years had finally found each other. They just fit together. She felt Anna shiver. Elsa looked around the room for a blanket. She found one resting on the back of the couch. Elsa grabbed a blanket and pulled it over the two of them. Anna stirred.  
"Elsa?" Anna asked her eyes still closed.  
"Yes?"  
"I know how I'm going to make it up to you." Elsa smiled  
"How?" She asked.  
"Tomorrow, we don't have to do anything right?"  
"No."  
"Well, tomorrow is going to be Elsa day. We can do whatever you want."  
"As you wish." Elsa said, quoting The Princess Bride. Anna smiled.  
"So, what do you want to do?" Anna asked. There was a short pause and Elsa sat, deep in thought. Her nose scrunched and her brows furrowed together in thought. When Elsa came too, she saw Anna looking up at her with warm eyes.  
"The beach." Elsa said. "I want to go to the beach."  
"The beach it is." Anna said and together they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: It's valentines day, what the hell. Might as well upload 2 sappy chapters.


	8. Chapter 7: Elsa Day

7

 _Elsa Day_

Anna stood in her room, her clothes were strewn across her bed. She had been looking for her bathing suit when she decided the best way to find it, would be to dump her clothes out of her suitcase and onto her bed. She didn't pay much attention to that now, she was looking in the mirror across from her. She was in a two piece bathing suit and was now applying a liberal amount of sunscreen on. Her skin burned so easily. She couldn't imagine how Elsa would burn.  
 _As if the sun would dare touch her skin._ It was the weekend finally. No more boring meetings, at least not for another two days.

Anna struggled to reach a spot on her back, but to no avail. _Dammit._ She would not let sunburns ruin this trip.  
"Elsa?" Anna called through the door. Last she checked, Elsa was waiting for her to change in the living room. "I need your help with something." She heard Elsa move on the other side of the door.  
"You are wearing clothes correct?"  
"What? Yeah, of course I'm wearing clothes." Anna rolled her eyes. The door eased open. Elsa peaked her head in the room, confirming that Anna was indeed wearing clothes, before entering completely.  
"What is it that you need?" Elsa said. Anna tried reaching for the spot on her back again, but failed.  
"I can't reach. Right there. You see it?" Elsa's eyes followed along Anna's hands towards the spot she couldn't reach.  
"I don't believe I understand what exactly you want me to do."  
"Oh for Pete's stake Elsa." Anna pointed at the sunscreen she left on the bed. "Grab that bottle of sunscreen and put some where I can't reach." Elsa paused. "Do you need an instruction booklet or something? An itinerary to figure this one out?" Anna teased.  
"I'm perfectly capable of performing tasks outside of the itinerary."  
"Elsa." Anna smiled. "Just please. The sunscreen." Elsa picked up the bottle, examining it. She flipped the lid open and started to pour sunscreen on her gloved hands. "Elsa." Anna proclaimed. She looked up. "Your gloves?" Anna motioned towards them. Elsa stared back at her. "The sunscreen will ruin them."  
"I don't think…"  
"Elsa, seriously. I will not be responsible for ruining your gloves alright? You love those things, you wear them all the time. Now just take them off so we can get this over with. " Elsa hesitated but proceeded to take them off anyways. She set the bottle on the ground and removed her gloves. She laid them on the bed, making sure they wouldn't get lost in the mass of clothes. She picked up the bottle again and applied some to her hand.

She walked over to Anna and stood right behind her. Anna could feel Elsa's cold breath on her back. Her hands hovered just above the spot, waiting.  
 _What the hell is she waiting for?_ Anna thought.  
"Elsa?" She said. Elsa didn't move, she was lost inside her own mind. Anna rolled her eyes and leaned back into Elsa's hand. Her hand was cold as ice and made a shiver run down Anna's spine. She felt Elsa's hand tense for a moment, but then it relaxed. She rubbed smooth circles around the spot that Anna had missed. "There, see. That wasn't so bad. It's good to have human interaction every one and a while Ms. Ice Queen."

Elsa pulled her hand away. Anna could read nothing on the Elsa's perfect face but she knew, somewhere deep inside, Elsa was lost in deep thought. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Anna said. "I'm just still all worked up because of the meetings and now that they're over, I guess I don't really know where all this energy is supposed to go and so sometimes when I'm like that I lash out at people, even people that I…" her voice trailed off. Elsa stood in the room, biting her lip. She held her elbow in her hand. She looked so… _small_ in the room. Anna grabbed both Elsa's hands in hers. "Look at me." Elsa looked up. Their eyes met. "I'm really, really sorry. I honestly didn't mean it." Anna said, squeezing Elsa's hand. Elsa just nodded. They just stood together for a moment. Elsa's gaze fell down to their hands.

Anna watched her. Elsa was wearing the same style skirt that she wore the entire time she had seen her, although she must've changed. Her outfit wasn't black like the other ones. This one was light blue contrasted by a black top and a jacket the same color as the skirt. _Wait, why wasn't she wearing a bathing suit._  
"Hey, aren't you going to put a bathing suit on?" Anna said, yanking Elsa out of her thoughts.  
"I don't think that would be proper in this particular situation."  
"And why not?" Elsa paused. She did that a lot.  
"I am your head of security and maintenance of an aura of professionalism around a client allows for the best levels of communication."  
"Elsa, relax, alright? We're on a tropical island! Look around you, there's sand and beaches, and sun. I mean how often do you get to see stuff like this?" Anna gestured around her room.  
"Every moment I am not on guard is an opportune moment for-"  
"Elsa, enough of this. Enough of the rules, they're all bullshit in one way or another. Please, who else am I going to swim with?"  
"I am **_not_** swimming."  
"Please, just this once? Come on, I'll be so bored."  
"No."  
"Fine." Anna said, crossing her arms. "If you won't wear a bathing suit and you won't swim, then at least get rid of the security guards on the beach." Elsa hesitated.  
"I can't do that either. I refuse to jeopardize your safety."  
"Oh come on. Seriously? The beach is like 10 feet away from the cabin. There is no one around for miles. Who the hell is going to try and abduct me here? Huh?" Elsa stared back at her. "See, no one. So no security." Elsa still didn't reply. "Please? It's Elsa day not Elsa plus a million security guards day." Elsa sighed.  
"Fine."  
"Yes!" Anna shouted. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won't be disappointed. Don't worry nothing will happen we'll just have a ton of fun." Anna bolted out the door, Elsa in tow.

"Come on!" Anna called out. She already ran past the beach and was now knee deep in the ocean. Elsa stood on the beach with her arms crossed. A few beach chairs that they had found in the cabin littered the beach, it looked like some of the security team members, who were now evacuating the beach, had been using them. Anna looked back at Elsa. "Come on in."

"I am perfectly fine from here." Elsa said. Elsa stood a few feet away from the water, donning an umbrella to block the sun. _Where the hell did she get that thing?_  
"How are you going to protect me from the sharks?" Anna said.  
"I'm sure the sharks will not bother you with the amount of sunscreen you put on."  
"Hey, sunburns are no joke." Anna said, "Will you at least come in the water a little bit? It's no fun out here by myself."  
"It has become apparent to me that I don't understand what fun is so I doubt I can be of any help."  
"Come on then, I'll teach you." Elsa paused for a moment, her head tilted slightly to one side.  
"I don't know if that's appropriate." Elsa said.  
"Oh just come on. The water is great. It'll be fine. I'm sure your totally hip and cool boss, which is me, will approve. You'll love it, trust me." Elsa still remained frozen on the beach. "Fine, I didn't want to do this but as your boss, I command you to come in the water right now." Elsa smiled. She took her shoes off and entered the water but stopped when she was only ankle deep.  
"There." Elsa said. "I'm in the water. Now can we go back on shore?"  
"Shore? You practically are on shore, come over by me." Elsa took a couple more steps. The water was mid-way up her shin but she was still over 15 feet away from Anna.  
"I think this is an adequate distance."  
"Over by me." Anna motioned Elsa closer.  
"But the sharks" Elsa said smiling. Anna laughed as Elsa took a few more steps forward.  
"There, that's better isn't it?" Anna said.  
"Not particularly."  
"What do you mean? Don't you feel inspired, awe struck, ecstatic, being in the presence of me?" Anna struck a star pose.  
"I think you are getting yourself confused with someone else." Anna mocked a face of offence and splashed water at Elsa.

Elsa recoiled from the water, lowering her umbrella. Her jaw dropped. Anna laughed at the expression on Elsa's face. All traces of professionalism from her face was gone. Anna bent over from laughter.  
"Did you just?" Elsa began.  
"Oh yeah, I definitely did." Anna said between laughs. She was almost in tears.  
"I would not advise splashing your fully clothed head of security. You have no idea what she is capable of."  
"It was your fault you didn't want to put a bathing suit on"

Anna splashed her again, laughing. Elsa looked down at her wet clothes then back up at Anna. When Anna finished laughing she looked up at Elsa. Her expression of shock gone, now replaced with something else _. Vengeance_.  
"Hey, let's not do anything rash here."  
Elsa rolled her sleeves up. Anna put her own hands up defensively taking steps backwards.  
"We were just messing around, no need to go crazy on me." Elsa was right in front of her. She felt Elsa's arms sweep underneath her and pick her up. She was then thrown into the air before plunging completely underwater.

Anna bolted upright out of the water, sitting with her arms behind her to support. Elsa stood a few feet away. She was shaking, no, she was laughing. Uncontrollably laughing. She tried to cover it with her hand but was failing. Her laughter was something to behold. Anna had never seen her laugh this hard. It reminded her of wind chimes, although that couldn't make any sense. How could someone's laugh be like a wind chime? Nevertheless the metaphor made sense to Anna.  
"You think that's funny huh?" Anna stood up.  
"Yes. Yes, I do. I think I understand this 'fun' thing now."  
"Oh you do, do ya?" Anna pushed a wave of water in Elsa's direction. Elsa used her umbrella to block it.  
"Is that the best you can do?" Elsa teased. Anna circled her. The umbrella followed as a shield. Anna unleashed a torrent of splashes. She splashed to the right, to the left, and directly in front of her. Some of the splashes she made by smashing her arms down in front of her, which succeeded in getting herself wet. Anna stopped satisfied that Elsa had to be soaked.

Elsa moved the umbrella up, revealing her. She was almost dry except for the splashes Anna landed earlier. Elsa pretended to inspect her nails, uninterested.  
"You are not very good at this." Elsa said back to her emotionless voice. Anna charged at her. The two collided with a mighty thump and a splash of water. Anna tackled Elsa to the ground, reaching for the umbrella. Elsa managed to keep her head above water with one hand, the other kept the umbrella away. Elsa was still laughing. Anna pushed Elsa's head underwater, using it as leverage to get closer to the umbrella. Even so, it stayed out of reach. When Anna released her head, Elsa came up for air, but her expression had changed. _Panic?_ As always, Anna couldn't completely tell, but it definitely was something she recognized.

Elsa was no longer underneath her. She saw a blur of motion and then Elsa's hands grabbed her shoulders and she was thrust underwater. At first she it was fun. After a few seconds Anna tried to get up, but Elsa kept her down. She tried again then she realized something was wrong. Elsa's grip was too rough. Her fingers dug into Anna's shoulders. Bubbles escaped her mouth as she screamed at Elsa.

Anna started to panic. She pushed with her legs, trying to get a hold on something, anything. She flailed her arms around. Elsa was bigger, stronger, and more experienced than her. More bubbles escaped her as she screamed. For help? She didn't know. She felt her body weakening. She felt the edges of her blurred underwater vision begin to fade to black.

She was above again. She leaned over, coughing up water, gasping for breath.  
"Anna, I am so sorry." She heard Elsa say.  
"What," _breath, "_ the fuck," _breath, "_ was that?"  
"Anna. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"  
"Didn't mean to what?" Anna said, regaining her breath. "Try and fucking kill me?" She stood up and wiped sand from her knees. "Jesus Christ."

Anna stormed off the beach leaving Elsa sitting in the water alone. Anna started making her way back to the cabin but just before she was out of earshot she turned back. "Just when I start to..." her angry face contorted to sadness. Her eyes welled up with tears as she turned back and ran into cabin.

* * *

 _What is wrong with me_? Elsa thought.

She looked down at her hands. She hadn't been wearing her gloves. Why wasn't she wearing her gloves? Tears pricked her eyes. She didn't think she was capable of crying anymore. She couldn't even remember the last time she cried, well, the last time she cried. Inside a movie theater was different. Inside a theater she was crying for Westley or Elliot, she rarely ever cried for herself.

She had let Anna down again, which she had vowed never to do. Once again, she failed. Completely and utterly. She had just tried to kill her client, but then again, in this particular instance, that fact wasn't what bothered her most.

For a few short moments she felt normal. Anna had made her feel normal. Anna. The person she just tried to kill. The person who moments ago smelled like sunscreen and summer, the person who was warm to the touch and had a bubbly excitement she couldn't contain. Anna, who didn't deserve to be terrified by Elsa. That's what bothered her most, she had just tried to kill Anna.

Elsa considered running off. That might be the best course of action at this point. They had only known each other for less than a week and already she had almost killed Anna not once, but twice.  
 _Why wasn't I wearing gloves?_ It was an oversight on her part. She was sure she was wearing them at the mall. When had she taken them off? She couldn't think straight. _I shouldn't even had stepped in the water in the first place._

The initially warm inviting water felt cold and she sat, wallowing in it. She deserved it. She almost wished a shark would come up and eat her right now.  
 _Sharks. Anna was afraid sharks._ When Anna said she was scared of them Elsa thought it was so… funny. She didn't find things funny anymore but somehow Anna brought those feelings back. _How could I have crushed that?_ It was all her fault. _I'm vile. I'm horrid. I'm disgusting._ The urge to cry was even stronger now.

Elsa shifted her body around so she faced the open sea. She couldn't have anyone see her like this. _You're an emotionless robot. Y_ ou're _a monster. You're an Ice Queen._ She could hear the comments in her head, unraveling her mind. She checked behind her to see if anyone was there. The beach was completely empty. Anna must've gone inside. She looked back out at the ocean. A tear ran down her cheek. Then another, and another and another. They wouldn't stop. Years of pent up emotion released itself. Elsa rested her arms on her knees and buried her head in the crook of her elbow and sobbed. _Why am I crying_?

Elsa had seen some terrible things in life she lived. She'd seen people blown apart, stabbed, and shot. She herself had been shot and stabbed numerous times. She'd lost people she had worked with for years but she never cried about them. Few things hurt this much. But why? That was the question burning in Elsa's mind. It etched itself somewhere deep inside.  
 _Because Anna is your friend._ Elsa thought.

Although that couldn't have been true. For starters, she had only known Anna for a week and now Anna hated her entire being. She had only a limited amount of interactions with Anna. Only a handful were actually worth remembering and two of them involved Elsa hurting her. Even though she knew most things about the past week we not worth remember, she remembered every second. All the same, Elsa couldn't help but feel the companionship she felt around Anna.

Then why couldn't Elsa control herself? She had kept her instinctual outbursts down to a minimum before meeting Anna. She didn't have any loss of control for almost 3 years. Then Anna waltzed into her life and she couldn't control it.

Anna who wasn't afraid of her reputation, who talked to her for more than 5 minutes, who despite almost being killed by Elsa, still continued to talk to her. Well, that wasn't true either. Anna had to talk to Elsa. After all, Elsa was her head of security. It would be strange if Anna didn't talk to her. Anna didn't like her, she couldn't. She only needed Elsa. Elsa was a a tool in Anna's tool belt. Elsa was just another security guard on just another day in Anna's life.

Elsa gripped herself tighter. Her crying had slowed. She wasn't sobbing anymore but a few tears still escaped her. She had to get herself together. She sat up, pushing the tears out of her face. There was no doubt that her eyes were red. She'd just pretend it was the salt from the ocean. She had to make it up to Anna. Had to. Failure here wasn't an option. _Maybe they could go see another movie again, just too smooth things over_ , she thought. _How is that going to fix anything_? Elsa thought. She stood up and started walking towards the beach. She needed to get even. This was all her fault. Everything. Her. Fault.

After getting to the beach she picked a direction. East. She decided at random and began walking down the beach. She'd need to get an adequate distance away, she didn't want anyone seeing her.

Despicable, revolting, awful, inhuman.

Those words rung in her head on an eternal loop. Somewhere deep inside her she knew they were right. She didn't want to and knew that she shouldn't believe them but she couldn't help it. How else could someone describe Elsa? No one ever used a positive adjective to describe her.  
 _Hideous, repulsive, gross, horrid, rotten._

Elsa had made it a fair ways down the beach. She stopped walking and turned to face the jungle. She walked over to a nearby tree trunk protruding from the ground. By the looks of it, it was a palm tree. She clenched her fist and punched. First with one fist, then with the other. She continued punching one after the other.  
 _Dreadful, wicked, useless, unimportant._

The words faded into the background as they were replaced with pain. The tree thudded at a constant tempo with the beat of her fists. Thud thud thud thud. She felt the skin around her knuckles begin to crack. Warm blood oozed out of them. Thud thud thud thud. She felt her bones in her hands strain under the physical barrage. Thud. Thud. Thud. The noises slowed to a stop. She looked at her hands. They were already beginning to swell. She was bleeding from several small scratches. She could see small blotches of blood imprinted in the shape of her knuckles on the tree. _I deserve this_. She thought. _I deserve this_. She turned around, flexing and relaxing her hands, feeling the pain.

She meandered along the beach towards the cabin. The sun was low in the sky now and cast reds and oranges over the dark blue ocean and into the sky. Somewhere in the distance a bird cawed. Her eyes felt heavy. It had been a long day, much longer than she had anticipated. She walked onto the porch and stood by the slider door. She hoped, no, wished, Anna wasn't inside. She slid the door open. The door to Anna's room was closed. Thank god.

Elsa slid the door shut behind her and walked into the bathroom to asses her wounds. The bathroom was small, smaller than she anticipated but it would do the job. A cabinet mirror hung on the wall, just above the sink. The sink had a little extra counter space to the side. Next to that, a toilet and then a full shower with a bathtub.

She turned the tap water on and let it run. Looking at her hands, she had done less damage than she thought but still a sizeable amount. Her knuckles were beginning to bruise up now. She pulled a bit of bark out from between her middle and ring knuckle. She let out a small gasp of pain and gritted her teeth. _I deserve this_. She ran her knuckles under the water. She cleaned the smears of blood off the best she could but she was still bleeding so it wasn't perfect.

She opened the mirror cabinet, relieved to find a first aid kit. She set it on the counter and ripped it open. After a long period of applying ointments and bandages, along with a few muttered swear words, Elsa's knuckles were dressed. Her fists looked like a boxer's, wrapped and ready to fight. Minus the blood that was permeating though the bandages.

Elsa yawned and covered her mouth with one hand. She walked out in the living room and rearranged a few pillows on the couch before laying down. The couch was wicker with a thin amount of cushioning underneath it, not meant to sleep on. She could already feel the pressure of it on her shoulder. She looked around for a blanket but couldn't find one. Then again, after the fiasco with Anna, a blanket wasn't justified. _I deserve this_ was her last thought before sleep engulfed her.


	9. Chapter 8: A City in Rebellion

8

 _A City in Rebellion_

Anna woke to the sound of the ocean crashing on the shore. She felt a cool breeze drift through her room. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. _What time was it?_ She couldn't sleep last night and spent most of the time crying. She thought back to the question that ran through her mind, keeping her up late last night. _Can I trust Elsa_?

She heard commotion in the other room. Pots and pans clanked on each other. She smelled pancakes. _Elsa._ She thought. The events of yesterday flashed through her mind. She still felt angry and betrayed but she also felt a tinge of sadness. She picked up a few random clothes from the floor and threw them on. She heard the faucet run and some more pans clanking together. _If Elsa thinks she can fix things with just pancakes, she'll have another think coming._ She pushed too hard on the door and it swung open, slamming into the wall.  
"Elsa, we need to…" Instead of Elsa standing in the kitchen, a tall man in a suit stood. He looked eerily similar to the rest of the security team. Anna couldn't tell them apart. On the plate in his hands was a pancake he was eating.  
"Sorry if I woke you Miss Arendelle."  
"Uh, where is the Elsa?"  
"Ms. Skyridge decided it was best if she appointed someone else as your personal bodyguard. She will still be your head of security, however she will not have direct contact with you."  
"Wait what? What does that mean?" Anna asked, somewhat astounded by the sudden change.  
"You will no longer have to see Ms. Skyridge." Anna felt even more betrayed. Anger bubbled up in her stomach.  
"What the fuck? She can't do that." _She said she would never leave me_. "Where is she?" Anna said, moving towards the man, pointing an aggressive finger at him.  
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that."  
"That's fucking bullshit. I'm your boss, and as your boss I demand that you tell me where my god damn… head of security is at."  
"Unfortunately I have explicit instructions not to tell you." Anna let out a grumble of frustration and turned back towards her room.  
"Ms. Skyridge taped the itinerary to your door." The man said, gesturing with his fork towards the door as Anna slammed it shut behind her. After a moment she open the door and grabbed the paper taped to the other side and retreated back into her bedroom.

She read through it, hoping for some sort of message from Elsa. Instead she read tables of locations, times, and events that she would have to bear through for the day. They were in preparation for the party. She crumpled the paper in her hand. _How dare Elsa just up and leave like that._ Anna couldn't believe it.

The reality of what happened jolted her. She felt her heart give. She collapsed backwards onto the door and slid down it to the floor. She gripped the paper in her hand, crushing it. A few tears escaped her eyes. _I should be angry._ Anna thought. But she couldn't be, not completely at least. The one person who wanted to protect her, to make her feel safe. Gone. And Anna had driven her away. Maybe if she stayed? Maybe if instead of storming off the beach they just talked it out? Anna couldn't think straight. The loss she felt was too strong. There was a knock at the door.  
"Miss Arendelle? Unfortunately we have to get going." The man said from the other side. Anna sniffed and wiped the few tears that had managed to escape, from her eyes. Somehow she managed to collect herself before opening the door.

"Alright, yeah, I'm coming." She said. Outside, the sun had already risen. It was a quarter of the way through the sky. In the driveway were three SUV's, as always. She didn't remember walking to the car or the car beginning to drive down the road. Anna was the quietest she had been in ages. The silence was uncomfortable, like a wall separating herself from everyone else. The bump in the road caused her to hit her head on the ceiling jerking her mind back into the car.

"So, what's your name?" Anna said, rubbing the spot on her head.  
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that information." Anna rolled her eyes.  
"Then what am I supposed to call you?"

"If everything goes well, you won't have to call me anything." Anna blinked, stunned. _A brick wall._ She had almost forgotten these people still exist.

Here she was once again, surrounded by nameless faces and cold, calculating, brick walls. She felt trapped and alone. She sighed, adjusting her arm to make a makeshift pillow against the window. Outside the jungle stopped to reveal the city of Tuvanau.

The sign that read "Welcome to Tuvanau" that she would pass by everyday didn't have the same life to it that it usually had. It felt faded, distant, but Anna didn't have the time to inspect it as her cars rushed past.

The city consumed them as they headed downhill towards the beach front. The streets were empty which felt odd for a city that was so vibrant with life. The curves of the road straightened out and declined downhill as they made their way into the heart of the city. A few hundred feet down the road, it met at a T with another road. Buildings lined the roads. From the car, Anna could see the rooftops of the buildings further bellow.

She saw a flash of light from one the buildings at the bottom of the hill. The car in front of her flashed a bright yellow. Bits and pieces of the car flew in every direction. Light brown smoke rose from the car. From the impact, the car skidded off to the side and collided into a nearby building. It was all over in an instant.  
"RPG." Her bodyguard yelled. All at once the car began to ting with the rattle of bullets. A stream of bullets went diagonally up the front of the car, from the passenger headlight, through the windshield, and into the driver. Blood was everywhere. Anna tasted copper. The driver fell forward onto the steering wheel. The car began to pick up speed and veered right, into a building. Everything went black.

The next thing Anna heard was yelling. A lot of yelling.  
"It's so loud." Anna half groaned half mumbled.  
"Client is secure, we need backup now." A man yelled. Anna felt a hand grab her shoulder, shaking her. "Miss Arendelle, we have to move now." Anna opened her eyes to see her bodyguard from the car standing over her. Blood caked the side of his head. In his free hand, he held a pistol. A car alarm in the distance was blaring. The man grabbed a two way radio he had set on the ground. "We are being attacked from the north east and west sectors of the city. We need backup now. I'm moving the client to a secure location."

They were in an alley way. Anna had been leaned up against a wall. To her side, the car crushed against the corner of the alleyway, almost blocking the entrance. Its front wheels were still turning. A few men stood by the car using it for cover. Gunfire clattered against the car. Two guards had the passenger door propped open and were trying to pull another guard, who was screaming in pain, out front inside the car. They pulled the screaming man from the car. Most of the man came with them, his right leg however, stayed in the car.  
"Fuck" She heard one of them say. "We need medical Evac on our location. We are under heavy fire."  
"Miss Arendelle. We have to move. Now." He pulled her up to her feet. Anna couldn't say anything. Her hands were shaking. Somehow the clothes she had been wearing were now covered it dust and blood. The jeans she was wearing ripped along the knees. _Am I bleeding?_ Anna thought, but she didn't have time to inspect herself, the man's grip was unrelenting.

The man dragged her down the alleyway. Her feet refused to cooperate. Behind them, return gunfire rang out followed by some yelling. As he approached the corner of the alley and raised his gun before peeking out and signaling Anna to follow. Gunfire rang out in the distance.

Together they made their way through the maze of alleys and roads. Anna's heart beat in her chest. They ended up stopped outside what looked like a flower shop. A giant flower sign with the words "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." written across it. Her guard pushed on the door. It didn't budge. He took a step back and kicked the door in. He grabbed Anna's arm and led her inside.  
"Client is in a secure location. We are barricading ourselves in a south west building with the name "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." He said into the radio. There was static and a burst of mumbling that Anna couldn't make out. Against her will, she let out a small whimper. _Is this where I'm going to die?_ "WILCO. Waiting for exfil." Then she heard a voice she recognized.  
"Confirm the status of the client." A female voice said. _Elsa._ It must've been. Anna could recognize that voice anywhere. The man hesitated.  
"Uh, I suggest we impliment barricades before the status of…" He was cut off.

"I repeat. Confirm the status of the client." The man sighed and turned to Anna.  
"Are you injured?" Anna still couldn't manage words. She ran her shaking hands up and down her body, inspecting for injury's but found none. Somehow, she was able to shake her head. "Client is secure and unharmed." There was a moment of silence.  
"We are en route to exfil. ETA. 5 minutes. Can you hold position?"  
"Position is solid. See you in five." The man turned the radio off. Outside, Anna could still hear the sound of gunfire. The man pushed an aisle of flowers in front of the doorway. The flowers themselves were beautiful. In another time, Anna would've considered buying one maybe even as a gift for Elsa, but right now seemed hardly appropriate. She couldn't think, however she did have one word on her mind. It repeated on a constant loop that she couldn't' stop. _Elsa._ It called. _Elsa._

* * *

Elsa had been listening to the radio chatter in horror as the events in the town unfolded. _Where is Anna?_ Her mind screamed. She wanted to yell into the radio but knew that it would only cause confusion. So, for the time being, she waited. She felt her stomach twist itself into a knot. It churned with every gunshot. Her hand was gripping the table.

She pulled her gloves off anticipating what came next. Then she heard it. "Client is in a secure location…" _Thank god._ "We are barricading ourselves in a south west building with the name "Tuvanau Flowers Inc." She looked down at the map she had laid across the table when the radio filled with commotion a few moments ago. Her finger traced the spot she had marked, where the cars were ambushed, downwards to the right to stop on the building in discussion.  
"We hear you, fortify position and prepare for exfil." Elsa said. She grabbed a set of body armor from the table as well as a pistol. She put the armor on and holstered the pistol.  
"WILCO. Waiting for exfil." In the background she heard someone whimpering. _Anna_.  
"Confirm status of the client." Elsa commanded. There was a pause on the other end of the radio. _Somethings wrong. She's hurt and it's all my fault._  
"Uh, I suggest we implement barricades before status of…" _He's stalling._

"Confirm status of the client." Elsa said, even more forceful than before. Another pause.  
"Client is secure and unharmed." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.  
"We are en route to exfil. ETA. 5 minutes. Can you hold position?" Elsa didn't hear his response. She was out the door before he had the chance.

Outside the room she was in, a team of people stood, armed and ready to go.  
"I want two teams of 4." She commanded. "One team will go straight for crew Evac, the other to flank the attackers." Elsa cocked her gun and put it in her holster. "I'm going for the client, separately. You guys draw their fire. Hold the line until the client is secure." Elsa double checked everything. Her gun was snug against her leg. She double checked the straps on her body armor. She grabbed a motorcycle helmet off the table. "Move out."

Together they left the building. Outside, two SUV's were prepped for an assault. Elsa led the way, the two crews followed behind flanking her left and right sides.  
"Elsa!" Someone called out from behind her. She whipped around. Hans stood in the doorway. The crew stopped.  
"Get moving." She barked. The crew rushed into the car leaving Hans and Elsa behind. "Where have you been?" Elsa asked.  
"Recovering from an injury if you've forgotten. Where do you think you're going?"  
"The client is in danger. I am going to go get her."  
"Elsa. You are head of security. You're not just any security guard anymore. Send someone else. Hell, I'll go."  
"She's my responsibility."

"Oh, you've been doing a great job of 'being responsible' so far." Elsa's jaw dropped. "I heard everything from here. The plane, the beach, the mall? What about the movie theater. Are you doing that for her or for yourself?"  
"I was protecting the interests of the client."  
"Bullshit." Hans said. You know she doesn't actually care about you right. To her it doesn't matter if it's you who savers her or me. Hell even if it's one of those guys. You're a weapon Elsa. A means to an end. You are too dangerous to be around the client."  
"I refuse to stand here while you berate my integrity. You can't stand there after being absent for over a week and act with such superiority. I am going to help my client." She said and turned towards the vehicles.  
"You think you can control it? Huh? You can't. You know you can't"

Elsa ignored his words. She put the helmet on and sat on a motorcycle waiting in the driveway. In fact, it was the same make and model motorcycle Anna had first arrived in. Elsa slid the visor over her helmet. "You're just going to end up killer her Elsa. Just like the others." Hans called out after her. But the only thing that heard his words was the dust settling in the wake of Elsa's bike.

She flew through the forest, gunning the accelerator as fast as she could manage on the low quality roads. Wind tugged on her clothes. She felt her hot breath in the motorcycle helmet. Her eyes analyzed every curvature of the road, absorbing all the information her body could give her and adjusting. _This_ was her element. This is where she was the most comfortable. As discerning as it was, she had to face that fact. When she was like this, she felt like she wasn't hiding anything, not dissimilar to how she felt with Anna.

The jungle thinned. She saw the floral welcome sign coming up. She turned and stopped at it before entering the city. She opened her visor to look at it. The city was on fire. Ash began to fill the air. The sky was lit blood red but being blocked by the dark black smoke that rose into the air, oppressing anything that came near it.

In her head she mapped the route to the flower shop. The map memorized in her mind. She heard the SUV's approaching form behind her. She gunned the accelerator of her motorcycle. _Right, Left, Right._ She weaved in and out of alleys, main roads, and even a few market shops that had been set up on the side of the road.

Despite the fire and gunshots she heard in the distance, the city was almost silent. It was eerily empty. It seemed quieter than it should be. She heard no screams. No voices. The town was desolate. Something was off. Elsa had seen revolutions before. She had even been hired to incite them. They were loud. They were always loud. This was not. Her motorcycle echoed through the street. The gunshots got louder as she approached the flower shop. She stopped her bike. She would not rush into this situation. Too many variables, too much at stake.

She parked the bike under a canopy that jutted out from a building. She pulled her helmet off and un-holstered her gun. She heard a shot ring out. Instinctively she flattened herself against a wall. She felt the cold steal of the gun in her hands. Her pupils dilated. She gripped the gun. Warm blood pumped in her ears. She moved forwards and peaked around the corner. The armed men stood behind a car on the street. Across from the car, the flower shop. One fired off a few rounds into the shop. Some glass shattered onto the street. Elsa heard a few shots ring out and ting onto the car. The men took cover.

Elsa saw her opportunity. She sprinted out from her spot on the wall, covering the distance between them in seconds. She rounded the corner of the vehicle, exposing all three men. She saw the look of surprise on their faces as she raised her gun level. She breathed and squeezed the trigger. One shot rang out. 3 targets fell to the ground. Everything was still. The ash falling from the sky settled on their bodies now oozing with blood. Elsa faced the building Anna was trapped in. One of the men on the ground stirred. Without looking, she raised her gun and took another shot at him. Everything was still again.

Elsa approached the building. A shot rang out and hit the pavement at her feet. _Threat._ Instinctively she raised her gun and let out three shots towards the door. She ran towards the doorway and ended up leaned against the outside of the building. _Breathe._ The grip on her gun loosened.

"It's Skyridge." She yelled. She heard commotion inside the building. Elsa took a step back and faced the door. It had been barricaded with a desk that leaned across the wall. Its drawers were open spilling paper out onto the floor. The guard she appointed appeared in the doorway, his gun raised. At the sight of Elsa he relaxed.  
"Ma'am" He nodded. Elsa helped him move the desk out of the way. It collided on the floor with a loud clang. The man had taken off his jacket and set it in the corner. His white undershirt was stained with blood. He was gripping his stomach with his free hand. "It wasn't you. They," he motioned outside at the dead men on the ground, "nicked me." He offered a smile. There was blood in his mouth. "I'll be fine." Elsa knew that wasn't true. Even a quick visual assessment of his wounds told her that. She nodded.  
"Anna?" She said.  
"Upstairs." The man sat down against the wall opposite the doorway. His breathing was already labored. "I'll be right here." He spat a gob of blood onto the floor. "Guarding the doorway." Elsa made her way past the array of flowers towards the set of stairs in the back of the room. She climbed them while putting the gun back in its holster. Hopefully Anna wouldn't make any sudden movements. Elsa was on edge enough as it is. She creaked open the door.  
"Anna?" She whispered. The room must've been a small office. There was a window on the far wall, light from the blinds cast an eerie glow on the room. A desk sat in the middle, a computer and small fan were on it. Anna stood up from behind the desk, armed with a stapler ready to fight. It reminded Elsa of the hotel room, where Anna had armed herself with a phone. If the situation weren't so dire, Elsa might've laughed. It took Anna a moment to realize who was standing in the doorway.

"Elsa!" Anna dropped the stapler and started to run towards Elsa. _Threat._ Elsa closed her eyes and put up a hand. Anna froze.  
"Anna." Elsa said. "You can't move too quickly…" Elsa opened her eyes. "I don't want to…"  
"It's okay." She said. "I understand." She approached Elsa. "I couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't talk earlier. I was scared. You said you'd always be there. I thought that you left and that…"  
"Anna."  
"… you'd never come back but now you're here and then there was that guy and the car. Oh god the car." Anna's hand went up to her face.  
"Anna." Elsa grabbed the babbling girl by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Anna we have to leave." Anna nodded. Her eyes were watery. Elsa unholstered her gun. They worked their way down the stairs, Elsa moved silently. Anna, on the other hand, wasn't as graceful. She was quiet, but her footsteps clicked on each step.

Downstairs the man on the ground's eyes were unfocused. A small trickle of blood ran down his mouth. He sat, unmoving. His shirt was smeared with blood. His pistol lay at his side. Anna gasped. She ran over to the man

"Hey, come on wake up." Anna said. "We have to get going. Elsa said we have to leave." Tears streamed down her face. "Come on." She said more forcefully. "We have to go." Anna grabbed the man's hand and pulled. His body fell over and Anna collapsed backwards onto the floor, crying. Elsa crouched down in front of Anna.

"Anna, he's gone. We have to leave. There isn't a lot of time left."

"He died protecting me." Anna looked up, her eyes were wet. "Why did he die protecting me?" Anna let out a soft whimper. "I don't wanna die Elsa." Anna whispered.  
"Hey, don't say that." Elsa said. "You're not going to die today, you know why? Because I'm here and you know what? I'm going to die well before you are with this dangerous life I live, saving rich snobs from burning buildings and all. And I'm not dying today. Not after I have some more of your delicious pancakes alright? So here's what we're going to do. We're going to go out on the street, we're going to drive home and then you're going to make me some pancakes because I'm hungry, I want pancakes, and I'm not dying today. We are not dying today. Alright?" Anna nodded. Elsa was surprised with how articulate she was but would have to ponder it another time.

They walked out the front door. As soon as they stepped out onto the street gunshots tinged against the flowershop. Unconsciously Elsa raised her gun and returned fire. Elsa's free arm grabbed Anna's shirt and led her down the alleyway. Another car had pulled up near the old one and was now firing at them.

Elsa turned and ran down the street towards the motorcycle, half dragging Anna along with her. Perhaps the motorcycle wasn't the best idea she thought in hindsight as bullets whizzed past them. Elsa looked back and that's when she saw it.

The men around the car were standing around a odd figure. His face was covered in a mask. Military. Two piece of metal angled outwards near the mouth. A third piece curved over the eyes, it almost looked like a modern medieval piece of armor. The mask glowed blue in two slits where the eyes of the wearer would be. The mask was covered in hexagonal patterns. In fact, the whole armor was black covered in the same thin white lines that traced hexagons all over it. His body armor was nothing like Elsa had ever seen. Years beyond whatever flimsy armor she was currently wearing. It was one solid piece that had other pieces attached to it. A few patches of added armor at the shoulders a few patches for ammo at the hips. The entirety of the armor looked flexible and covered his entire body.

He turned and looked at Elsa. On his chest an acronym. E.L.S.A. He shimmered for a moment. Elsa almost stopped running. Elsa thought it was a trick of the eye, perhaps a wave of heat from the burning city around them maybe she read the acronym wrong in the light. He vanished. _What. The. Fuck_.

A bullet whizzed past her head pulling her back into the reality of the situation. The men got into their car. Elsa pushed Anna in front of her, towards the bike.  
"Anna, go!" Elsa yelled. Elsa stopped, turned around and crouched. She raised her gun. _Breathe._ The car was gaining speed. They were almost to Elsa. She could see the people inside, feel their adrenaline. Elsa took aim and let out a shot.

The bullet soared through the air, through the single pane of glass, and into the skull of the man driving. The car veered right and into a building. By Elsa's calculations, that should by them just enough time to leave. Elsa ran to catch up to Anna.

Anna had the motorcycle helmet on already. Elsa jumped onto the bike and started it with a swift kick. Anna slid in place behind her. Without hesitating or checking to see if Anna was all the way on the bike, Elsa slammed on the accelerator.

* * *

A/N: Hey all, sorry this is late and sorry there was no upload Sunday. It's been a long week. I'll try and keep with the regular schedule next week. I tried to make it up to ya'll with a longer upload. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 9: Confrontation

9

 _Confrontation_

They flew past the Tuvanau welcome sign. The road caused the bike to rattle but Elsa remained in control. What the fuck had she just seen? That _thing_ wasn't just some rebellious leader. It had military background just by how expensive that armor must've been. Even the way it held itself screamed military. This was no ordinary rebellion. Something was wrong.

Elsa shook her head. She didn't have time to think about that now. They had to leave the island. Any business Anna had to continue no longer mattered. They needed to leave. Alive. Preferably with Anna tucked under her arm. They couldn't go back to the cabin, it was too open, too close to the city. It wouldn't be safe. Instead she drove past the driveway and further towards a different part of the island. _The Hotel_. It would be the safest place to be. Hans would be there to protect Anna as extra help. Even if none of the security guards came back, Elsa had reinforced the hotel like a fortress. They could spend weeks there if need be.

It started to rain. The road began to fill with puddles and mud. Elsa slowed the motorcycle down as they approached the hotel, well, it was more like a beach house. Built to be rented out by a group of people, or one rather wealthy individual, as it was in this case.

Elsa stopped the bike in front of the building. She felt the bike beneath her, purring and hot from strain. Elsa patted the bike as if it were a pet that had just completed a complicated trick. She wiped a few stray hairs that had come loose from her braid and stuck to her face. A few granite steps led to the immaculate entrance. Such a stark contrast to what the two had experienced not moments before. Anna took her helmet off and let it fall onto the ground. It landed in a puddle causing mud to spray into Anna's shoes. She paid no attention to it, if she even noticed what happened. Anna's eyes were fixed on the building, yet distant and unfocused. They chose a direction and stuck but didn't pay attention to exactly what. Elsa had seen that look before. She took Anna in her arms and led her to the beach house.

They entered the building in silence. The entrance gave way to a grand living room. The ceiling arced upwards. A few couches were in the room, a piano sat in the corner. Opposite them, the large glass wall that Elsa had been so worried about to begin with, cast multicolored light into the room. Hans stood in the kitchen to their left.  
"Go ahead and sit on the couch. I'll be over in a minute." Elsa said to Anna. Anna walked over to the couch. Her shirt was torn somewhere. Her pants had blood on them. Her hair was a mess. _She looks so… defeated_. Elsa thought. She looked over to Hans. Hans looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"What are you guys doing here?" He said. Elsa rushed over to him.

"It's bad down there and getting worse." She said under her breath so Anna couldn't hear. "We need to get off this island. Tell Kristoff to get the plane ready." Hans stood stunned. He set what ever he had been cooking aside, nodded and went into the other room, where Elsa had heard the call from earlier. It was the makeshift headquarters for the entire operation. It felt like such a long time ago. Elsa walked over next to Anna and sat down.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Anna nodded, reached out and hugged Elsa.  
"Thank you." She said, into her shoulder. "I thought…" She started to say but didn't finish. Elsa pulled her in tighter.  
"It's okay. Everything is fine now." The released and Elsa motioned Anna into her lap. Anna laid down on it. Elsa began petting her hair, just like they did every night, although, it was more difficult with Anna's hair in the state that it was. Elsa looked around the room.

The room was immaculate, built for modern day kings. The floor was hard wood. The piano was on a platform a few steps higher than the rest of the room. It would've been a nice place to stay. It's unfortunate they would have to leave it so soon. Elsa thought that maybe Anna would've liked seeing what Elsa did reinforce the place. Maybe she'd show an interest in body guarding and they could start a company together. They could move out east, set up a couple operations and then… _What am I thinking?_ None of that made any sense. Elsa let out a sigh and looked down. There was a coffee table in front of them. On it, a series of magazines, a drink, an ashtray with a lit cigarette in it. On the corner she saw something dark black. Something she recognized. She leaned forward, careful not to push Anna off her, and moved a few magazines out of the way. It was a card. Small, business standard. It was black. The only thing on it were 4 silver letters. _E.L.S.A._

"We have to go." Elsa stood up. Anna sat up in the couch, shocked by the sudden movement. She rubbed her eyes. "Anna we have to leave right now."  
"What? Why?"

"Anna, trust me. Let's go." Elsa grabbed Anna's hand and they walked to the door. Hans slid in front of it, one hand up to stop them.  
"Where are you guys going?" He said.  
"We just wanted to check to see if the others were here yet." Elsa said.  
"I think it'd be best if you guys just stay here. Kristoff is on his way. He'll be here in a few minutes. So, Let's just sit down." For a moment, nobody moved. Elsa stood her ground. They were locked in a stare down. Elsa looked past Hans. Through the glass panes of the door she could see the bike sitting in the driveway. It was maybe 50 feet away. They would need what? 5… 10 seconds to cross that distance. Another few seconds to start the bike, maybe one more to make sure Anna was okay. As she did the mental math, she felt Anna shift at her side.

Hans exploded in movement. From his hand behind him, he pulled a gun out. Elsa's arm shot out, hitting him in the wrist. The gun flew across the room. Elsa kicked the inside of his leg. Hans fell to his knee. She punched him in the throat. His hands shot up to his throat and he fell to the ground coughing.

"What the fu-" Anna began to say. Elsa grabbed Anna's hand.

They ran outside. Elsa jumped on the back of the bike. Anna went for the motorcycle helmet. "Not now, quickly, we have to go." Anna shook her head. second guessing herself.

* * *

Rain, matted down Anna's hair to her face. Her feet splashed in puddles as she ran over to the bike. Anna didn't know why she went for the helmet. What had she been thinking? Just a single look at Elsa's face showed how bad everything was. She could tell, Elsa was scared, there was a calm control in her eyes, but she was also scared and _that_ was the most frightening thing Anna had ever seen. Elsa wasn't supposed to be scared. Elsa was perfect, completely in control. Whatever was scaring Elsa, should scare Anna tenfold. Anna hopped on the back of the bike.

The sound of a gunshot pierced her ears. She looked towards the source of the gun. Hans leaned in the doorway, on hand on his throat, still recovering from Elsa's beat down. The gun was in his hand. Smoke rose from the barrel. Elsa raised her gun and shot back. Bullets tinged off the outside of the building. The motorcycle jumped forwards and hurried down the driveway. The rain blocked Anna's vision and stung her face as they flew down the road. In the distance coming towards them, Anna saw headlights. Elsa veered right, off the main road and into the jungle. The jungle floor itself was clear. A few ferns and branches lay across the ground. Elsa deftly maneuvered around them. Was there anything she couldn't do? Anna realized her stomach felt warm. She looked down to see thick, matted, blood.  
"Oh my god. Elsa, I'm bleeding."  
"No. You're fine."  
"No, Elsa look, Fuck. I'm bleeding." Elsa grunted.  
"It's me." Anna froze.  
"What?" The reality of what Elsa said set in. "We have to stop."  
"Not until we put enough distance between us and them."  
"Elsa, you're hurt."  
"I'll be fine." And that was the end of that conversation. Any time Anna tried to bring in up again, she was shot down by Elsa's cold voice, or the rain caught her words. After what seemed like ages, Elsa slowed the bike down. At first she couldn't tell why. They were in some sort of shallow ravine. The rain was beginning to fill it, as about 2 inches of water covered the ground. Nevertheless, Elsa stopped the bike and looked around. It looked like they were surrounded in jungle, jungle and more jungle. Elsa maneuvered the bike through a thin slit between a few rocks in the side of the ravine. If Anna was just walking by she would never have noticed it. Elsa pulled the bike inside out of the rain. Anna hoped off. She rushed to Elsa's side and helped her off the bike. Elsa gripped her stomach. Her clothes were caked in blood, despite the rain that tried to wash it away. Propped up by Anna, they made their way towards a clearing near the back of the cave. Elsa collapsed to the ground, bringing Anna with her. Elsa let out a groan when they hit the ground. Anna sat up and pulled Elsa's shirt back. Underneath was a bullet proof vest with a hole punched straight through it.  
"Elsa I'm gonna have to pick you up. We have to get this vest off." Elsa nodded and grit her teeth. Anna slid her arms underneath Elsa's and lifted, sitting her up. Elsa let out a muffled scream. Her eyes shot open. Anna pulled the vest over Elsa's head and then set her back down onto the ground. She pulled Elsa's undershirt, which was matted in blood, back just enough to see the wound. There was a lot of blood. Elsa was trembling and taking large deliberate breathes. Her eyes were still wide from pain.  
"Elsa what do I do?"  
"Put pressure on it." Anna leaned forward and put both of her hands on the opening. Elsa let out a gasp and grit her teeth. "Fuck!" She yelled. After a moment she regained her senses and said "Listen to me very carefully Anna. You have to stop the bleeding. Bandages, cauterizing, quick clot. Whatever you can find alright?"  
"Elsa what do you mean?"  
"The best change of you surviving is by saving me so… you're going to have to leave me here."  
"What? But-"

"Anna listen. If you can't find anything… If I die-"  
"You're not gon-" Elsa brought her hand up to Anna's face.  
"If I die, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave so early. It's not your fault." Elsa paused, breathing though the pain. "You need to get off the island as soon as you can. Don't trust anyone. You can take my gun. The safety is on the side, you just point and shoot. There's more ammo on the bike. Don't forget to breathe."  
"No. no. no."  
"When you shoot, make sure your palms are below the barrel. It'll slide back and slice your hand open if you're not careful."  
"You're not gonna die." Anna's eyes teared up. Elsa's breathing was heavier and slower now. Anna felt warm blood between her fingers.  
"If you run into trouble, focus, breath, and remember there's….." Elsa spat blood from her mouth. "There's always a weak point, always an opportunity for you to get the better of someone else. Know your own weaknesses so people can't use them against you."  
"Elsa, I don't know if I can do this."  
"You'll be fine." Elsa's body relaxed and her eyes began to flutter. "I'm tired." Elsa looked up at Anna with a smile. "I really enjoyed our time toge-" She started coughing. Blood spat out of her mouth again but this time she didn't even turn her head and the blood landed on her shirt.  
"No, Elsa stay with me, please. Elsa. Elsa! Who's gonna make pancakes with me if you die huh? Who's gonna watch old movies? Or… or who's awful puns and I going to listen to? Who's lap am I gonna sleep on huh? You can't die." Anna sobbed. "You can't." Elsa smiled her eyes still closed.  
"Everything…. Is going…. To be… okay." Elsa looked up at Anna. Her bright blue eyes pieced into Anna's soul. Elsa reached her hand up to touch Anna's face. If time could stop right now and Anna could remember her face forever she would be happy. But the laws of time were not forgiving that day as Elsa's eyes rolled back white and her body went rigid. She started shaking.  
"No. No. No. Please!" Anna begged. She pulled Elsa in, unsure of what else to do. For a while she half sat, half squatted in that position. At some point Elsa stopped shaking. The rain echoed throughout the cave. The motorcycled ticked as it cooled. "Elsa?" Anna leaned forwards and listened for Elsa's breath. It was faint, but it was there. "Elsa, it's gonna go okay. I'm gonna go get help. You better be alive when I come back or you're fired alright?" Anna ripped a large strip from her shirt and wrapped it around Elsa's body. "I'm gonna fix this." She said with a shaky determination. Anna grabbed the gun strapped to Elsa's leg and headed out into the rain.

* * *

A/N: Hey sorry this is so late... again. Midterms/life. If you like this story feel free to leave a review. Same goes it you hate it. Let me know what ya'll think! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 10: The Cave

_**10**_

 _ **The Cave**_

Anna drove the bike through the forest, careful not to get lost. She had to be quick. The rain was pouring down. It was getting difficult to see. While Anna was able to ride the bike, she didn't have the same maneuverability Elsa had. She drove much slower than her.

Anna couldn't think about Elsa right now. Alone in the cold dark cave. The blood on Anna's hands had washed off. But thoughts of Elsa still clouded her mind. Elsa said she needed to focus. But how had Elsa been shot so… easily? Was it her? Did Anna distract Elsa from her near superhuman abilities to fight?

The bike lurched forwards onto the road. She couldn't tell exactly where she had ended up. Her best guess was to the right she'd most likely end up at the cabin. To the left, the hotel? She couldn't go back to the hotel. She turned right. There was a first aid kit in the bathroom of the cabin. Elsa had used it when Anna cut her hand.

They had been running through the jungle. Anna led the way while Elsa chased her. It was after they saw The Goonies. Anna had been so excited after the movie. The jungle reminded her of the beachfronts of Astoria. They were running, pretending to be pirates when Anna slipped and fell forwards onto a rock. She had sliced her hand down her palm. It wasn't a deep cut. Anna thought it was no big deal. But Elsa stopped and rushed to her side immediately.  
"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let me see."

She took Anna's hand without waiting for her response. She leaned in and inspected it. Anna winced as a small sliver of blood oozed out. While Elsa holding Anna's hand gingerly, they made their way back to the cabin. Anna protested the entire way.  
"I'll be fine." She said. "It's no big deal, it's just a little cut." But Elsa wouldn't take any of it. As far as she was concerned, Anna had lost her whole hand. When they got to the cabin, Elsa opened the First Aid kit and rummaged through it. She found antibiotic ointments, bandages, disinfectants, and other supplies Anna didn't know the name for.

"This'll hurt for just a second, and then it'll be okay." Elsa squeezed some ointment out onto her latex gloved hand. She removed her normal gloves and used a pair she had found in the first aid kit. Slowly she rubbed the ointment it. Anna grimaced. She could feel Elsa grimace with her. "I'm sorry we have to make sure it's not infected." She reasoned. Anna just smiled.  
"Why do you care so much?" Anna asked.

"Well because if it gets infected then you're medical condition will worsen quite rapidly and…"

"No. Why do you care so much about me?" Elsa cocked her head to the side.  
"Because some people are worth it." She said with a smile.

Anna shook her head, the rain dripped off as she did. She looked up. She was just outside the cabin. She left the bike behind at the beginning of the driveway. She hid it in a small bush, hoping no one would find it. Although, night was beginning to fall so Anna doubted that anyone would see it anyways. She ran down the edge of the driveway, trying to remain hidden in the forest. Fallen branches, gnarled roots, and misshapen stones threatened to pull her to the ground. By some miracle her footing held after every bounding step. Just over the sound of her panting breath, she heard voices. Immediately she crouched low to the jungle floor. Ferns shrouded her vision. She creeped along the ground, stopping at a clearing. She peered through the undergrowth.

From her spot in the jungle, across from the cabin, She saw a few guards outside the cabin. Instinctively she laid down, pressing herself. to the jungle floor. It was unlikely that they couldn't see her from here. They were moving boxes upon boxes of supplies out of the cabin. Anna's old clothes, Elsa's files. They were taking everything. Anna could only wish that they wouldn't take the first aid kit. Rain dripped form her brow, blurring her vision. She saw one of the men make a rounding motion with his hands. The men took their boxes and loaded them into the car. The cars started. Smoke rose from the car's exhaust pipe. Their tires kicked up mud as they drove off. Anna waited for a few moments, frozen.  
 _What if they someone inside? What if it's a trap? What if Hans is waiting for her?_  
Anna's heart beat in her chest. She grit her teeth and geared up to run. This wasn't for Anna, Elsa needed this. Before sprinting towards the cabin she waited and listened.

The sounds of the cars began to grow quieter. Rain hit the leaves. A breeze rolled through the trees, causing them to creak and groan. Anna exploded from her position in the woods. She sprinted across the clearing. Water splashed from puddles that had collected on the ground. Mud splashed up, covering her legs. Her feet hit the wood of the patio. She collided with her back to the outer wall of the cabin. She listened again. No movement. She moved around the outside of the wall until she reached the window. She kept her back pressed against it. She peaked her head out.

Inside the house was dark. The living room was cast in utter darkness. She eased the door open and stepped inside. She slid it shut behind her. She moved out of the light of the window. She stood a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

The room was turned upside down. The couch was on its side. All the cabinets were open, their contents were strewn across the counter tops. Papers, littered the floor. To Anna's relief, no one sat lurking in the shadows. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Anna made her way across the room. The papers crunched under her feet. The bathroom was equally as torn apart. Luckily the first aid kit sat on the floor. It was open and upside down, as if someone threw them onto the floor in haste. Its contents piled around the metal case. Anna scooped up the various bandages, clothes, ointments, painkillers, ext. She shut the case with a soft click. She stepped out into the living room, the first aid kit tucked under her arm. She motioned to leave but something stopped her. For a moment she stood in the room, taking in the silence. She looked over towards her room.

 _What if they left something useful behind?_ It was a flimsy excuse at best but nonetheless she had convinced herself to take the small detour. She looked inside.

Her room, much like the rest of the cabin was torn. Her closet just as she guessed was empty. The whole scene didn't feel like her room, nor did the cabin. These men had violated her space and destroyed it, turning it into something it was not. She walked across the room. Her foot landed on an open piece of chocolate on the floor. She picked up the note next to it.

 _Hope this makes up for the plane ride._ Anna's hand balled into a fist. She felt angry tears well in her eyes.

 _Elsa._ The image of Elsa in the cave alone ripped her back into reality. She would make these men pay for what they've done. She ran out of the room, laying waste to her sense of caution she had before. She ran out the doors and through the puddles in the driveway. She disappeared into the forest towards the woman who vowed to protect her. Now invigorated to return the favor.

Her footsteps echoed through the cave. It took her far longer than she anticipated to find the cave again. She was surprised that Elsa had even found it in the first place, but then again, Elsa knew what to look for.

 _At least it's dry in here_. Anna thought. She heard the woman somewhere deeper down in the cave moan.  
"Don't worry, it's just me." She said softly. There was no response. Anna couldn't see in the darkened cave. The dim light of the moon and stars outside didn't help much. Anna stuck her arms out, reaching into the darkness. One hand held the first aid kit. She could just make out the Red Cross on the side.

Her foot hit something soft. The woman groaned again.  
"Oh my god I'm sorry." Anna crouched down, set the first aid kit next to her and opened it. She felt around in the tin case. Pills? Bandages? She pulled that one out and set it on the ground. Ointments? Packages? Then her hand touched something she didn't recognize. It was a tall cylinder with a plastic cap. A flare? What were flares doing in a first aid kit? It didn't matter. Why was she even thinking about this in the first place? She was wasting so much time.

 _How do these things work?_ she wondered. _How do they do these in the movies?_ Anna yanked off the plastic cap. She held it in her hand a moment, judging exactly how she was going to light it before slammed the stick on the ground. Bright red light exploded in the cave. She dropped in it shock.

Tall stalagmites rose around her. They were as far back as they could be in the cave. Elsa lay in front of her on a flatter part of the cave floor. The ground itself was relatively clean. A few stones and some sand littered the floor. There weren't any animals that she could see. A smear of liquid led from Elsa's position on the floor to a few feet behind her, towards the entrance of the cave. Anna couldn't tell from the color but she knew what it was. She shivered.

She leaned over Elsa, getting a better look at the wound. It was small, maybe ¼ to ½ inch across. Somehow it seemed smaller than before but perhaps it was the light. It was still it was bleeding but not as much as before. Still, she felt woozy. She set her hand down on the cave floor to steady herself. After a few moments of slow breathing, she reached her hand around and picked Elsa up on the side. Using her hand she felt for an exit wound, all the while trying not to make eye contact with the hole in Elsa's stomach. She felt another hole on the other side.  
"Thank god." She said aloud. If the bullet was stuck inside she would've had no idea what to do. She set Elsa back down. Her skin felt rubbery and cold. She looked up to Elsa's face. It was in no way peaceful. Although she was most likely unconscious, her face twisted in pain. Even in the odd red light of the flair, she looked even paler than usual. Her body was still, except for the shallow movements of her chest, up and down. Anna looked back to the first aid kit.

She saw a few random items scattered around. The bandages she had taken out lay on the floor. She skimmed over the packets, looking for anything useful. She saw a small, shiny silver and plastic package labeled _suture_. She grabbed it and ripped it open.

A small curved needle and some thread fell out. Anna looked back to Elsa's bullet wound. She sighed, know what she had to do. She took sewing in high school… 4 years ago… or was it 5? How hard could it be? She grabbed some medical tape and moved into a stable position over the wound. She hesitated and looked over at the bandages once more. She shook her head and leaned in closer to the hole.

She gripped the needle and took a deep breath. The needle plunged into Elsa's side followed shortly by the black thread. Blood oozed out covering her hands. She pulled the thread all the way through, the string went taught in her hands. She pushed the needle through the skin again and pulled it through the wound. Already it was becoming more difficult. The needle was slipping in her grip. She looked around the cave and saw the bandages. With her free hand, she grabbed it and pulled it closer. She wiped it on one of the bandages on the ground before continuing. She pushed the needle through Elsa's skin again. _How deep am I supposed to go?_ Anna had no idea. She was just happy Elsa was unconscious. If she was awake for this she'd no doubt be going berserk. Anna pulled the needle out again, pulling it tight. The wound was beginning to close near the bottom.

After more blood and a few more stiches, Anna was able to close the wound. A tiny trickle of blood and an a few stiches were all that was left of the bullet hole. She was even able to turn Elsa over and close the exit wound too. Elsa was laying on the ground face up now. Her breath still shallow but it seemed more controlled. That could've just been Anna's imagination thought. She covered the stitches with bandages and medical tape.

She finished and let out a big sigh, almost admiring her handiwork. She walked over to a spot on the cave floor where a puddle from the rain had collected to wash her hands. The puddle turned dark red, but it was hard to tell exactly how red because the flare tinted everything in a red glow. Anna noticed that the red glow was beginning to fade. She rushed to Elsa's side, not wanting to lose her again in the darkness of the cave. She laid next to Elsa as the light faded.

Even in an unconscious, pain induced slumber, Elsa could look so beautiful. Anna sighed again. She sat up and took Elsa's head and put it in her lap. She pet Elsa's silvery hair until the cave turned dark. So much had happened over the past few days, Anna was unable to process it all. In the matter of a few hours, her life had been turned upside down. She yawned but continued to pet Elsa's hair anyways. She wanted to be awake when Elsa woke up. Unfortunately, the darkness of the cave lulled Anna into a deep sleep.

* * *

A/N: Kind of a smaller one but I'll make the next one a bit longer. I'll probably be late end up uploading Thursday or Friday though. As always, If you hate it, let me know by leaving a review, if by some miraculous chance you enjoyed it, you can leave a review for that as well. Thanks for the feedback!


	12. Chapter 11: Food

**11**

 **Food**

Elsa was looking up. She was in a corridor. Fluorescent lights flashed overhead. The armored man from the town walked with her on the right. On her left, Anna walked, mirroring the armored man. In unison their heads whipped over to look at her.  
"She's awake." Anna said.  
"Good." The man said. His voice was a low robotic rumble.  
"I'm glad she got shot." Anna looked up at the man. "She deserved it." The armored man leaned in close to Elsa's face. The bright light from his mask blinded her. He took two fingers and shoved them deep into the spot where Hans had shot her. Pain coursed through her entire body.

Elsa shot upright in the cave. Her entire body protested. Her abdomen felt like it was on fire. She gasped and gripped her side, causing her even more pain. She collapsed back down on the ground. Her body hitting the hard floor, but her head landed on something soft. Anna let out a small yelp.  
"Elsa?" Anna blinked her drowsiness away. "Oh my god you're awake! I was afraid that when I woke up you'd…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm just glad you're okay."  
"How long was I out?" Elsa asked.  
"Uh, I dunno. All night. Maybe like 8 hours?" Anna stood up and walked around to the other side of Elsa.  
"We have to get moving." Elsa started to get up but Anna held her down. Her grip was soft, but forceful.  
"No. You are not moving for at least a few days. You got shot Elsa."  
"The best way for us to remain hidden is to stay on the move."  
"I don't care."  
"Anna, we have to…"  
"No." Anna said, in her commanding voice. "You already got shot because of me, I'm not gonna let you get hurt even more. Besides, you can't get out of here by yourself and I'm not helping you. We are staying here until you get better." Elsa groaned. The odds of their capture escalated exponentially if they didn't move from their spot. The first thing Hans would do is set up a search radius. Then he'd work sweeps three, maybe four, teams at a time, depending on how many men he had left. Elsa had an inkling suspicion that Hans had a near limitless amount of resources. It was only a matter of time before they were found. They had to move. They had to get off this God forsaken island and Elsa couldn't do so if she was stuck in this cave. She wouldn't allow Anna to get hurt.

Elsa struggled to sit up. Once again, pain coursed through her body. She couldn't tell where the pain was coming from. It was as if every fiber of her being was burning. She grit her teeth. She forced her arms behind her and sat upright, using her arms to support her. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Did it usually hurt this much? Last time Elsa got shot was in the arm when she was, what? 17? Although a gunshot to the arm was different from one to the stomach, she didn't remember this much pain.

Anna watched and tried to keep an emotionless mask, although it was cracking a bit. Her arms were crossed. She bit her lip, most likely to stop her from saying something.

Elsa leaned forward, putting pressure on the wound. She let out a small cry as she felt something pop. A rib? Her arms were shaking and she collapsed back on the ground. Anna just watched. Elsa tried again, using the same method as before. She propped herself up by putting her arms behind her.  
"Oh for Pete's sake Elsa. Stop, you're hurting yourself." Elsa laid back down.  
"Anna, you don't understand."  
"Okay, you know what. If you want to move so badly, fine. But we're going to wait until you're stronger alright? We'll get a meal in you, some water and then we'll figure something out?" Elsa just nodded. Her lips felt cracked and dry. She licked them.

Anna walked over to a puddle that had been left over from the night before. First she tried cupping her hands and bringing the water over to Elsa. That just ended up with drops of water across the ground. For a little while, Anna just paced back and forth. Elsa couldn't do anything but watch. Anna's eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. She walked over to the bike and ripped off the cowl cover. A small plastic piece on the back of the bike for the second passenger. It was bowl shaped. Anna scooped some water up and brought it over to Elsa. Elsa gulped it down. Water spilled around the outside of her mouth. She coughed causing even more water to spurt onto the floor but she didn't care. All she felt now was the pain in her side and the hunger of her stomach.  
"Easy, easy. Slow down." Anna said. Elsa wiped her mouth and set the bowl aside.  
"You said something about food?" Anna smiled.

* * *

Anna clutched the baguette in her hand. By some miracle she was able to convince the baker to give her a leftover loaf. Anna thought Elsa would like that sort of thing. She and Elsa decided the best way to find food was to send Anna into town. She could pick up some scraps food and bring it back. Elsa said Hans and his people would be busy looking for them in the woods to even bother going to the city. Elsa almost made Anna take the gun with her but Anna insisted otherwise. She would be useless with it anyways. Elsa would be more useful crippled with that gun than Anna at full health.

The sun was shining. People were already back out on the streets. The destruction of yesterday's riots had vanished. It was as if nothing ever happened. A low hum of activity radiated throughout the town. Anna walked past a diner but backtracked and stood in front of it. Perhaps she'd be able to mooch off the waiters or waitresses here. She could get a free meal that she could take back to Elsa. Wouldn't she be proud of her then? Sent out to get scraps food only to return with a full loaf of bread and a full entrée! Ha! She could already picture Elsa's face. Jaw agape, eyes wide with surprise.

It was at this moment, traversing the patio area, where Anna passed by a small table where a man was sitting. He called out in a voice she recognized. Just the slightest trickle of his voice sent Anna into a rage.

"Please, sit." Hans said. With his glass, he gestured to the open chair in front of him. Anna glared. Her leg twitched. She constricted her grip on the food in her hand. Hans grabbed a mouthful of steak. He chewed it and sipped from a glass of wine. When he finished he wiped the crooks of his mouth with a napkin. "Please sit down. Don't make this more difficult than is has to be."

Anna scanned the patio. Tables and chairs of people engulfed her. A short fence separated the eating area from the street. People were eating around them. Food smacked in their mouths. Their words amalgamated into a meaningless chaos. Everyone was so blissfully ignorant of the evil dining amongst them.  
"What do you want?" She spat.  
"Right now, I just want you to sit." Hans took another bite of steak.  
"And if I don't?" His silverware clacked on the plate. He stabbed a portion of steak with his fork and waved it in the air as he spoke. He swallowed the piece in his mouth.  
"You don't really have a choice." Anna cast an eye over the patio. Opposite them, a man swirled his drink. His back straightened. His eyes bore into them. On the other side of the street, a black van hummed. A waiter interrupted her inspection of the scene.  
"Can I get you anything ma'am?" Anna slumped into the seat. Still wary of the man in front of her.  
"No." She said.  
"She'd like a steak." Hans said. He locked eyes with Anna. "Another glass of wine for the lady as well." Hans looked up at the waiter. "Please." He flashed a fake smile. The waiter nodded and left.  
"You know what's interesting about cows?" Hans said.  
"They're not backstabbing pieces of shit?" Hans smiled.  
"They're farmed to make great steak." Hans scooped up another bit of steak with his fork and shoved it in his mouth. "And they don't even know it."  
"You're something else."  
"Thank you."  
"I didn't mean it as a compliment." Hans shrugged and returned to cutting the meat on his plate. "What are we doing here?"  
"I'm eating dinner. I thought you would like a meal too and speak of the devil." The waiter walked up to them with a plate of steak and a glass of wine. He promptly set it down onto the table.  
"Can I get anything else for you two?" He asked.  
"I think we are fine thank you very much." The waiter nodded again and dipped away. "Ah. Well, dig in." Anna stared back at Hans. The plate remained untouched. "Seriously, darling, lady, Princess, whatever you like to be called, you're looking rather gaunt. Rough night? " He took another bite of steak and stared at Anna with a look that hinted at a shrug. She remained a steadfast deadpan. "Why are you looking at me like that? You look like you want to say something. You want to say something to me?" Anna glared in silence. "Lady, if you're gonna say something, say it. I don't have all day."  
"You want me to say something? Okay then. Uh, how about fuck you."  
"Oh this outta be good." Hans muttered.  
"You're a vile fucking piece of shit! I hope you die. You nearly killed her Hans, me too. You shot an innocent person for no reason."  
"An innocent person?"  
"Yeah."  
"Oh honey. She's hardly innocent now is she?" Anna sat back in her chair. Her arms crossed. "Oh you don't know? Oh, you think you know everything about her after, what 7 days? Well let me tell you something darling." Hans returned to cutting his steak. "You don't know the first thing about that… that machine." Hans' sawed into his steak with a knife. His motions grew more deliberate with every word. "That emotionless, vile, uncontrollable tornado of destruction. No. You don't know the first thing about her." Hans gulped another section of his steak down. "Do you have any idea, the amount of people she's killed? Like gimmie a rough estimate." Anna said nothing. "Oh come on this is no fun without a good guess. Anything. No?" He sipped his wine. "I've worked with her for nearly a decade right? In that time, I've seen, maybe 500 confirmed kills. And those are just the confirmed ones. And she didn't even know how to use a gun properly for the first few years." Anna kept her face emotionless.  
"Is that you're attempt at trying to jar me?" Hans laughed and leaned back in his chair.  
"Hardly." He chortled. Anna leaned in and spoke under her breath.  
"What am I doing here Hans? You clearly don't want to kidnap me or kill me. You would've done that already."  
"What an astute observation. We've got Sherlock Holmes on our hands over here." Hans laughed again. The noise stung Anna's ears. "No, I'm not here to talk about your skills at observation. I just wanted to tell you a little story about our mutual friend and then I'll send you on your merry little way, alright?" Anna rolled her eyes and flashed Hans a doubtful look. "Oh come on. Seriously. What can I say that'll convince you huh?" He raised his hands in the air in a shrug. "Okay look." Hans motioned with his hands towards the man at the table. The man straightened his jacket, stood, and walked towards the car. His motions were mechanized, unnatural. _A brick wall._ "Better?" Hans asked. "No security people to muddle things, just you and me. A real one on one talk. Heart to heart. Mano y Mano."  
"That doesn't even make any sense."  
"Okay." Hans' hands curled into fists and then released. He crossed his hands and then set them on the table. Slow and deliberate. He faked another smile. "I'm just trying to talk. Let me tell my story and then you can spout whatever bullshit you wanna say alright? Good. As all good stories start, once up on a time-"  
"Seriously?"  
"Please." Hans put his hand up. Anna mocked a sshhing face. "Like I was saying, once upon a time there was a little girl. Except this little girl was different. She had what you would call and uncanny ability to cause trouble. When she was 14 a nice man and his brother caught her breaking into a house. Not only that but this little girl happened to kill 3 people that day three, good friends of the brother. Three fully grown men killed by a 14 year old girl who would look at you with no remorse, only certain sense clarity, like she was trying to figure out the best way to kill you. Now, clearly the nice man was upset. His knew these men quite well too. His brother wanted to throw her into a dungeon but the nice man said no. He would take her in. Teach her how to control her destructive tendencies and then maybe, one day, she would be able to help people."  
Hans leaned back in his seat and pulled out a cigarette. He offered one to Anna. Anna didn't move. He shrugged and put the remained back in his coat pocket. He lit the cigarette and took a long puff.

"Anyways, a few years later the nice man had been helping the girl control… whatever it was that she had, when one day, she shows up late. A small mistake for most people but for her." Hans let out another puff. "Well, things didn't turn out so well. You see, on that particular day, the nice man's brother wasn't have a good day. His wife was in the hospital. Leukemia, nasty business. Anyways, he had to bring his kid with him, just to stay in the back. He wouldn't be in the line of fire, Jesus he was only 4 at the time. So, you could say he was under a lot of stress and when this girl walked in late well…" Hans took another drag on his cigarette. "He didn't take it all too well." Hans paused for a moment in thought. The noise of the people around them filtered back into Anna's ears. She pretended to look uninterested but didn't know if she was succeeding or not. Hans continued

"He didn't hit her," Hans shook his head "he'd never had hit her. No he just scared her a little bit. Roughed her up. Kinda like a playful shove you'd give your friend but this girl… she wasn't our friend. Now, admittedly I wasn't there, I was out on a patrol but when I came back." Another drag on his cigarette. He stared off, recollecting past events. "She was just standing there. There were bodies everywhere. I mean all over the floor. I can't remember how many. One of them was that kid. He was fucking four years old." Hans brought a finger up to his throat and dragged it across. "Steak knife." He said. "And she was standing there, covered in blood. I mean like head to toe. See she didn't use any guns no, that'd be too easy. Too quick. Just sharp objects in the room. A coffee pot, nails, a letter opener, steak knife. When you get that close to someone." Hans motioned with his hands. An open palm curling into a fist. "It does something psychologically. You really have to want it. It's personal. But after I looked at her, even after everything that had happened. There was no remorse. No pain. Not even pleasure. She was empty. Her eyes were clear. She looked comfortable, relaxed. And that. Is the same person you're dealing with right now. As much as you don't want to admit it." Hans leaned back in his seat. Triumphant for finishing his tale. "She could kill you without even batting an eye."  
"It's not like that." Anna said, her voice near a whisper. Hans laughed sarcastically.  
"Oh really? What's it like then huh? You don't even fucking know her. Not like I do."  
"Oh so what's your plan huh? You're gonna kill her because she killed a few people that you know." Hans just laughed.  
"You don't have the slightest clue what's going on do you? That's not why we need her."  
"We?"

Hans closed his eyes and composed himself. He pulled his jacket in, tugged on his sleeves and stomped out his cigarette. Anna's made steady eye contact. She was trying to come up with another witty retort. A sly comment to undermine his story but she came up empty handed. She had to admit, Elsa was dangerous. Hans had a point. But did that undo the last week she spent getting to know her?  
"Listen, I'll give you an ultimatum. You get one day." Hans looked down at his watch. "Starting now." Hans stood up and pushed his chair in. "I'll be at the hotel, you just meet me there and tell me where she's at and we'll take her off your hands. You won't have to worry about her anymore. You can go back to doing whatever it is you do, and I'll go back to doing what I do. Alright?" Anna didn't respond. "24 hours" He said. He walked across the street and into the SUV. The SUV's tires spun and Hans left Anna in her seat. The steak on her table rapidly getting colder.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, once again, late upload from what I said last week but I got caught up binge watching some TV so... yeah. Anyways, thanks for reading! If you hated it or have any advice, let me know by leaving a review, if you possibly enjoyed it slightly, let me know what you liked by leaving a review. Love the feedback. Thanks!  
P.S. I'm thinking about going back and redoing some chapter so they are a little less... well, shit. It shouldn't change any big details though so, if you happen to go back and reread something, that's what happened.


	13. Chapter 12: Rope

Chapter 12

Rope

Anna's figure disappeared as she ducked over a hill. Elsa could do nothing but listen as the low whine of the engine imprinted faded echoes in her mind. _Alone_. She thought. She laid on the ground. Water dripped into a puddle. The wind blew through the trees outside. She felt a cold, wet breeze roll over herself. It stuck to her and clung to the walls of the cave. Her nose recoiled from the musty smell the breeze brought with it. She tried to reflect on the days now past but she couldn't bring herself to it. Her mind raced with thoughts of both her own and Anna's fate. What were they going to do?

Elsa eased her shirt up. It was matted with blood which was beginning to crust over. Under her shirt, a bandage was fastened to her side, held in place by an awkward mass of tape. She peeled off the first few layers. A moan escaped her mouth. The bandage was speckled with blood and wet with whatever yellowy liquid her body was producing. She took a few deep breaths before propping herself up to inspect the wound. Another moan attempted to escape her but her lips held steadfast. The bullet hole had sealed up. Stitches stuck out in every direction from it. They crossed in mismatched patterns. Thank god she didn't have to perform any other serious medical procedures on her. It might even be better if she replaced them herself. Actually, maybe she should.

Anna wouldn't be back anytime soon so she had plenty of time. She began the long and arduous process of turning over and crawling across the cave to the medical supplies. She should've asked Anna to bring them closer. She felt every bump, divot, and scrape in the ground in her crawl. Elsa would put it plainly later by simply remarking, "It was unpleasant."

She opened the kit and rummaged through it, feeling it out with her hand. Her hand ending up grabbing a pair of medical scissors and antiseptic ointment. She lathered the ointment all over and slid the thin scissors under the thread with finesse. Surprisingly it didn't hurt as bad as she anticipated. The scissors flashed down the row of stitches, cutting as they went. When she was finished, to her surprise, the gash did not reopen or bleed. Instead it felt as if a great pressure had been relieved.

She tried standing again, using the cave wall as a crutch. She leaned over to look at her side again, afraid of what she'd see. Once again, to her surprise, nothing. Not a single drop of blood, no open wounds, no intestines peeking through. She felt herself getting stronger, or maybe she was just growing in confidence. Either way she didn't feel as useless as she did a few hours ago. She scooped the scissors up from the floor in a heavy handed manner.

By folding her arms behind her and in the same fashion as before, she removed the stitches. Almost instantaneously relief flooded through her. Breathing no longer hurt. The tension in her abdomen was gone. She straightened her back and tried stretching her side, slowly as to not reopen it. She felt her muscles shift. A few bones in her back popped into place.

She let out a long sigh. Her hand slid along the slick, mossy, edges of the cave as she shuffled her way outside. She felt the warm sun on her face. A low fog hung in the air. She had things to do.

* * *

She tightened the straps of twine she managed to put together. Once you knew how to collect the basic materials, it was fairly easy to build a rope that can hold a few hundred of pounds. She yanked on the twine that she was trying to hang between the two trees.  
"Dammit." She whispered to herself. The rope was short by about a foot and a half. She wiped the sweat from her brow. The temperature was rapidly rising. The sun beat down on her platinum hair. At least she had that going for her. Although, if Hans was looking for her, her hair vibrated throughout the woods. They'd be able to see her miles away. It didn't really matter though. They wouldn't be on the island much longer. Just a few more days was all it would take then they'd be sailing though the skies, their destination, anywhere but here. Elsa threw the rope down in frustration.

Her hands we rough from running the twines through them. Her palms were bruised and sliced down the center. Two more feet, then she was done. She grabbed the makeshift knife she made from the medical scissors, medical tape, stiches thread, and a stick.

She took off, navigating in and around the thick mass of trees towards what she dubbed as her "twine spot." It was a thicket maybe half a mile from the cave where the ground sloped downwards to a small pond. Around the pond, an overgrown grove of palm trees. She ripped the fibers from the palm tree's leaves. Pulling the fibers stung her hands but she ignored the pain. She looked up at the sun. Anna would be back sometime soon. She probably wouldn't appreciate what Elsa was doing. She had to finish before Anna returned.

Her fingers moved rapidly, twisting and weaving the threads together. The rope burned the insides of her fingers as it slid past. After a few minutes she was able to make the rest she needed. Once again she took off into the woods, returning back to where she was mere moments before. After fastening the ropes together, she tested their tension. They vibrated in the air with a flick of Elsa's fingers. Satisfied she returned to the cave to wait for Anna.

* * *

Short chapter, super late upload. I'm busy. Sorry. As always, if you hate it, leave a review to let me know what I should change in the future. If you happen to enjoy it, let me know what you liked. Thanks!


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